Ill Willed: Tendencies
by Sickly-E
Summary: Four years since the final battle of Ultimecia, and the world is still chaotic. Everything is under chaos with the world rendering back to its old self.
1. Tendencies

**Chapter One - Tendencies**

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_The blood came from her nose, she realized. She ended up losing the fight. "Seifer's going to kill me." She said aloud, covering her nose with her sleeve. She was only fifteen. She examined Seifer's gunblade, noticing the blade had been cracked from her last blow to her enemy. Her head pounded, and the side of her jacket was torn from the thundaga that was cast on her. She was barely hanging onto what life she had left when suddenly; she heard footsteps from down the hallway. She turned, strands of hair flying and sticking to the bloody mess down her chin. She could feel the wind pick up, and the floor vibrate. _

_Seifer was running towards her, reaching out for her. His footsteps echoed through the hall that had led to Adel's chambers. She could see the look of fear in his eyes, the look that Seifer only gave when he knew something wasn't right. _

"_Seifer?" She tried standing up, but fell. _

_Seifer reached towards her, sliding on the small pool of blood that was next to the girl. He grabbed her arms and lifted her up. During the swift movement, she had dropped Seifer's prized gunblade. She tried reaching for it, but was jerked away and tugged forward. _

"_L-leave it!" He screamed to her. "We have to go!" The two of them started running. He cast his last cura on the girl, causing her to heal faster. _

"_What's going on?" The blonde asked. Seifer stopped, running out of breath. _

"_Time Compression. We can't get sucked into it—that's why we have to hurry." He grabbed her hand and held her close to him as the two of them rushed to the airship Fujin and Raijin had prepared for them. The further they got from the void which Squall's party had been sucked into, the faster it chased after them. The girl tripped on a body that lay on the floor and she fell. She turned to look at the golden hue behind her and saw the void, trying to suck her in. Seifer began to try to drag her on her feet, unable to succeed. The girl felt weak and tired. Her body slowed in its movement, as did Seifer's. _

"_We…re tooooo…la…t…e…" Seifer cried out, his voice deepening as it slowed down alongside with everything else. They slowly turned, watching the golden void only a few yards from them. Seifer pulled the girl to the corner and covered the two of them in his trench coat._

Now, nineteen, she sits on top of the Trabia Garden library, waiting for her target._ "What am I doing here? I shouldn't be here. I usually get paid way more than this…fuck. It's not important!" _She sat up and looked over the small walkway from the Library to the Parking Lot. She wasn't there yet._"…The target should be here by now." _She had figured she had picked the perfect spot for the kill, but wasn't sure now.She muttered and grabbed her phone and dialed in a number.

"Evers…where is the target?"

"_Look, kid. You wanted to be here—Yeah. Look Emma –complications…She wasn't in there. She's in the dorms with a… a guest."_ A gruff voice responded coolly.

"You're new room is starting to look more like…you." Rinoa observed while walking around Selphie's apartment. You could tell it was Selphie's, and Selphie's only when you saw the many different colors that had been strewn across the room. Need it be, clothes, furniture, or flowers. Everything had a positive feel to it, and that was how Selphie preferred things to be.

"Yeah, It's starting to get hard walking up the stairs at times. My ankles are swelling, which is unusual. And my head is hurting during most of the day now. I had no idea being pregnant would be such pain." Selphie groaned and sat down for a moment, tired of packing.

"Well, of course it's no picnic…especially when you're reaching your second month. It's good you're going on maternity leave in April." Rinoa smiled, looking at a few snapshots that had been in frames all over the house.

"Who said anything about maternity leave! I'm bringing my daughter with me to work!" Selphie joked, standing up carefully and balancing herself.

"_Don't fuck this up."_ Her father commanded. His voice was never caring or loving. Always cold and heartless; much like the rest of the crew that the woman worked with.

"I wont." She said firmly, lowering her head. Her long black hair blew in her face, shielding her from the cold winds of Trabia.

"_Just get it done and over with and get the hell out of there._" He never told her he loved her, or that he was proud of her. He never encouraged her to do anything but kill. He wanted a son, but he had a daughter. He didn't want a princess; he wanted a soldier.

"Yes sir."She said, once again, firm and short. There was no such thing as a conversation between her and her father. Only short small talk.What is the Mission? What is our status? How is the team doing? Where is the Target? There was a click and then silence. The woman sat back and stared at her steel-toed boots. The reflection from the sun blinded her. She thought for a moment and sighed. She was pleased she found a good vantage point. On top of the roof of the cafeteria, there was an escape ladder that she could easily climb down if need be. As she was putting her weapon together, she continued to debate on if she could do this or not. She stopped for a moment to light a cigarette, taking a long drag before continuing on with her work.

"She's going to fuck this up." Evers said in a disgusted voice. He looked upon his team. Cort; his leading man, Lux; his youngest, Mara and Morus; his deadliest snipers, all sat silently, waiting for something to happen. Cort fingered the tip of his blade, feeling the skin waiting to break, staring at his boss.

Cort joined the team four years ago, he was once a teacher at Galbadia Garden instructing students on elemental magic.

"We should've left this to me." Cort said, piercing his skin with the blade.

"I know, Cort." Evers said. "I shouldn't trust her with something like this." Evers sighed and bit the tip of the phone.

"She will not chicken." Morus said quietly. "She is different now." He spoke with a Centran dialect, making it hard to understand what he would say at times.

"This is her first mission in almost two years." Mara said quietly. "She hasn't killed since the Council initiated the Guardian Force Ban."

The head Council that was established after the Sorceress War initiated a ban on Magic and Guardian Forces after all of the monsters had been wiped out completely. They found them dangerous to the health of the user and the lives of others. This also included Sorcerers and Sorceresses'. Rinoa Heartily was told to surrender her magic and abilities. A few short months of discovering that people still ventured to Trabia to fight monsters, they restricted Healing Items as well. Her fighting had once solely been based on a stolen Guardian Force that her father obtained for her from the Gardens. However, when the Guardian Forces were called, she was left alone. Serpentipes, was her name, and she was her one and only companion.

"Emma, what's your status." Mara asked into her headset.

"_Desiccated…and forced._" Mara smiled to herself and handed the headset to Morus.

"This first in great while. Can you conclude?" He asked.

"_Of course I can._"

Emma Mortali was an alchemist, originally. She specialized in creating newer and more powerful spells that could instantaneously kill a monster, regardless of their statuses. She was intelligent, however, her father thought that she could do greater things.

For most of her childhood, Morus and Seri raised her, along with Mara, who was Emma's playmate and daughter to Seri. When her father was around, he would neglect her except when he was training her. Morus and Seri performed as her parents, up until her brother Lux, was born. Lux was weak as a baby, and Emma was left to raise him with Mara and Seri.

Lux grew to be asthmatic, and so the once proud father of Emma and Lux, finally realized that he would never have the son he wished for. So he abandoned trying to help Lux and solely focused on Emma. Emma grew up, with a great heart, yet numb from any romantic or loving emotion anyone other than family would give her; up until the time she and Seifer had their first encounter.

"She's going to be so cute." Rinoa said again, shifting the baggage onto her other arm again.

"So how are things with you and Irvine?" Selphie asked, buttoning up her coat with one hand.

"He's away in Galbadia with some business executives." Rinoa slowed her pace. "He said he'd be gone for a few days…" She stopped, looking down at the footprints in the snow.

"What's wrong Rin?" Selphie turned and gave Rinoa a look of concern. But before Rinoa could mention it, she knew exactly what was wrong.

"It's just that… he never invites me along." She said, pressing her foot into the white fluff under her. "We're supposed to be getting married but…I don't know…" Rinoa sniffled. "Sometimes I think he's cheating on me."

"No…Rinoa, he'd never do that!" Yes, he would. He did when he was with her.

Emma could see them through her scope. She felt relieved. Should she shoot her in the back, or the head? Did it really matter? A life is a life. She couldn't remember exactly all of the things they had taught her, but she was still accurate. She could hear the conversation between Tilmitt and another person. She cocked her weapon, and aimed it at Selphie's lower back. When she would turn around and walk out from the concrete canopy, she'd shoot her in the head and run.

"_Ok… concentrate…_" She steadied her gun well on the side of the roof. "Come on…just turn around." She said to herself in a whisper. After a few minutes Selphie Tilmitt turned around, hands to her stomach, smiling.

Entering the room like the leader he was, Squall stepped towards Zell with a note in hand. "I take it you heard." Squall said as he noticed Zell pacing around nervously, muttering.

"My Selph…my daughter….what if she's-"

"Zell…I'm sure they're okay. They rushed to the helicopters and were in the air last I heard." Squall lied, still trying to find a way to council Zell after he faced the truth of his family.

Emma walked into the condo quietly, not wanting to bother with talking to anyone. She held her equipment quietly and slinked up the stairs. She opened her door and shut it carefully, not even letting the lock click.

"How did it go?" Came a voice from her couch. Emma didn't turn around. She knew who it was.

"It went fast and easy. I want to take some time off."

"Why would we want to do that?"

"Because I had to shoot a mother. A mother holding her baby." Emma said harshly.

"Cort, please. I don't want to…I just some time off." Cort stood up and walked over to stand behind Emma. He checked himself out in the mirror that was in front of the two of him, straightening his hair. Emma walked into the bathroom and changed out of her uniform. Cort found this as a conjugal opportunity. He walked in behind her and watched her bend over in her undergarments to turn on the shower faucet. He snuck in and grabbed her ass.

"Stop it, Cort."

"Don't lead me on, then." He said coyly. Emma stood up and turned to him.

"How was I leading you on! I just want to take a show—" Before she could finish her sentence, Cort had backhanded her she slammed into the door. Her head made a dull thud against the wood. She groaned silently, not wanting to make him angrier for making noise.

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO SNAP AT ME!"

"FUCK YOU!" Emma screamed and pushed him into the wall, unable to stop herself from acting out.

"ZELL!" Selphie ran in the office, throwing her bag on the ground before reaching for her fiancé. "Can you believe it? Someone… wanting to kill ME!" Zell held her tightly to his chest. Rinoa walked in after Selphie, anticipating to hear what was going on.

"Baby…I was so worried! You… could've been…it's…" Zell sighed and took Selphie back in his arms.

"Zell! It's ok! I wasn't hurt at all. No one was. They missed by a few feet that's all." Selphie tried to cheer Zell up but all that it did was make him hold her tighter.

"Emma Mortali was planning an assassination on the main officials of Trabia, Esthar, and Galbadia Garden." Squall said quietly. Selphie backed away from Zell and sat in his plush red leather chair. "That's not all. We've been able to see that she's trying to target the Main Council."

"Wha…why?" Selphie rubbed her face with her hands.

"We don't know." Squall spoke quietly, folding his arms and leaning up against the wall.

"What about Seifer?" Rinoa asked, twirling her hair in her fingers.

"What about him?" Squall asked with heavy apathy.

"He's on parole right? Didn't he run with them?"

"_Was on parole_." Zell raised an eyebrow. "Remember?" He gave Rinoa a look and pointed out at the window.

"And Fujin and Raijin?" She asked again.

"Won't have anything to do with Seifer for him running with the Mortali's. They're engaged and Fujin has a two year old."

"Oh yeah…but—" Rinoa was embarrassed for forgetting about what had happened in Galbadia. "Oh, forget it… I still wish he would just rot away and do us all a favor."

Before anyone could respond to Rinoa's statement, Quistis stormed into the room looking weary and tired. She greeted everyone with a smile and a hand to her head to brush back her fallen hair. "They moved him to the G.M.I.C.I. a few weeks back. The judge from the prison put him there by mistake. Probably some sick joke because most people believe he wasn't punished enough... Sorry. I was doing paperwork in the other room and I couldn't help but overhear." She walked over to Squall and kissed his cheek.

"Did you take a nap?" Squall asked his lover, brushing her hair from her face.

"Did you quit smoking?" She asked with a smirk.

"No."

"No, as well as me then." Quistis left a note with a few phone numbers listed on his desk and sashayed out of the room.

Seri cleaned Emma's bloody lip with a washcloth. Seri was also Evers' lover, and nurse to those who come back hurt. She stepped back and looked at Emma for a moment, who had sighed and looked at her toes.

"He's only going to keep doing this until you either kill him or you obey him." She said after a moment of silence.

"How can you be on their sides!" Emma kept her voice low, not wanting to wake anyone up. They were going on a hit tonight, and needed their rest.

"Because us women don't have a choice." Mara said, walking through the kitchen to grab a bottle of water from the refrigerator. Her blonde hair was in her face, yet Emma knew she was glaring at her. "You have a great shot at Cort. I love ya, but don't screw it up." She said and left.

"Don't listen to her. She's just angry she doesn't get to go." Seri said and threw away the bloody paper towel that Emma had held on her lip.

"Hey you know what…?" Squall walked over to the file cabinets by Zell's desk and began searching for Seifer's file. He quickly pulled it out and tossed it out on the table. Photos, records and summaries scattered on the table in front of the group.

" Last name 'Almasy', first name 'Seifer', middle name 'Colin'…Colin…?"

"Sounds too much like colon." Selphie giggled.

"Tch…keep reading." Zell motioned for Squall to read.

"…Sent to Balamb at the age of-"

"We know all of that! Read the most recent ones!" Selphie piped up, reaching for a pad of paper and a pen.

"…Whatever…Expelled from Balamb Garden for assault and battery, rape…possession of narcotics…breaking and entering…"

"Rape?" Zell stopped and looked at Squall.

Squall tilted his head down and started reading the details in the file. "…Yeah…statutory rape when he was seventeen. The girl was…" He turned the page. "Fourteen."

"Drugs I can believe… but…are you sure that's Seifer's file?" Selphie stood up and walked over by Squall.

"Yeah it's got his picture and everything in it…" Selphie pointed at the student photo over Squalls shoulders. Squall pulled the picture from the paper clip and handed it to Selphie, who was standing on her tiptoes to see the file.

"My god…who was it that he killed?" Rinoa asked.

"…Um—"

"We have a lead." Quistis bounded into the large room with another note with a number on it. "We have clarified that the sniper was most likely a Mortali." Quistis said and sat down, folding her arms together. "A few students saw on top of the Cafeteria roof, after hearing the shots fired, a feminine figure, goggles and all."

"Goggles? What do you mean?" Rinoa looked at Quistis for her answer.

"It's their status. The Mortali Assassins always wear goggles. It helps with their sight or something like that." Quistis noticed Selphie beginning to cry.

"Zell…what am I going to do?" She wept, covering her face. "I can't leave the Garden. But I've got to be at that meeting at the end of the week. What am I going to do?"

"Let's think about that later. Come on." Zell stood up, Lula in one arm and his lover in the other and started walking to their room. "Let's just go and rest for a while."

"Poor Selph…" Quistis muttered.


	2. Therapey

**Chapter Two: Therapey

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"ALMASY!" A prison guard yelled and entered the third door on the floor. "Lunch time! Get up!"

"Suck cock." A voice replied from the dark corner. Even though it wasn't a lively voice, it still contained the same even and commanding tone, however still sensual, a slight Estharian accent making it sound regal and handsome.

"Just starve then! This'll be yer fourth day without food!" The guard kicked Seifer's tall, weak, starved figure in the gut and stormed off. The prisoner then later heard commotion coming from the doors. The same gruff prison guards voice, and then another…a woman's.

"Huh!…Oh…yeah you can see him. Just watch it though. This ain't a conjugal visit." He heard the guard say and then heard the door unlatch.

"Seifer…" He heard Emma's voice whisper as she kneeled down to sterile floor. The sudden tone to her voice made his stomach curl. Feeling anger and resentment for the people that put him there. "Seifer…" She spoke again.

She examined him, seeing only what she could from the light of the sun shining through his barred window. Half naked with just a pair of scrubs on, with a couple of wraps around his wrists with old bloodstains on them. He looked sickly, and depressed. His once sunny blonde hair was now a dull light brown. And his torso covered multiple lacerations, some still healing, others already scarred deep within his body, which lay across his tanned skin and emaciated stomach. She couldn't see his face, for the fact that he didn't look up, too weak to even try.

"Seifer…look at me…please." She reached out to raise his chin, but he had already lifted his head. A gasp came from her lips. Bruised, bloodshot eyes, numerous little cuts, a swollen and busted up lip and died blood was what was staring back at her. "Oh my god…"

"Why are you here?" His voice was ragged and no louder than a murmur.

"They called me." Emma walked by the door and picked up a tray holding a pitcher, bowl, washrags, and bandages. She kneeled down beside him and smiled. "They brought me here to get you healthy again."

" I'm fine." Seifer put his hands to his head.

"Did you hear about what happened in Trabia?" Emma soaked one of the rags in the water and began stoking Seifer's face.

"Emma…" Seifer sighed in frustration. "Don't change the-"

"I screwed up." She said quietly.

"You didn't answer my question." Seifer pulled the rag away from Emma. "And why are you acting this way? I haven't seen you in—"

"Shh…" She whispered.

"I haven't seen you in three years, Emma." Seifer said, reaching for her hand and holding it in his own. "For three years I've waited for you to come back. I'll forgive you for not returning after so long, but please… explain why."

Emma looked down and frowned. "I can't." Seifer moved from holding her hands to moving his up to her shoulders. She looked at him. "I just missed you. That's all. Now lean back. I'm going to clean you up a little. Try eating just a bit for me." Seifer smiled and reached for a piece of bread and began eating while Emma continued to clean the pain off his skin.

"So how's Lux?" He asked between bites.

"Fine." She put the rag down and showed him her wrist. "See the bracelet he got me for my birthday? It's from the Shumi Village" a silver bracelet with tribal designs etched into it covered most of her wrist. Seifer reached for her arm to get a closer look.

"Wow. That is nice. It's really…" He noticed the discoloration under the bracelet. "Emma what is this?" He lifted her sleeve up to reveal purple and brown bruises up her arm. He looked at her with a worried glance. "Who the hell did this to you?" He asked quietly.

"Almasy! Time fer yer therapy." The guard from earlier walked in and reached for Seifer's bruised arm.

"Oh…" Seifer was pulled up from the bed and strapped onto another.

"What therapy?" Emma asked, unknowingly.

"Electro-shock therapy…where electromagnetic waves are sent into the brain…" The owner of the voice walked in and began to strap Seifer onto the bed.

"But that's only for ment—…"

"Yes…and Mr. Almasy is in fact, a mental patient. It states in his chart that due to his behavior with the hearing last month, he will hereby be taken care of and placed in the treatment of the Galbadian Mental Institution of the Criminally Insane until his next hearing in six months..." She yanked the last strap into a tightening restraint as she spoke. "If you would like, you may join us. You might find this helpful for you to understand why he is undergoing this treatment."

Emma looked at Seifer, who was obviously panicking. His breathing was calm, but his eyes weren't.

Seifer didn't budge. Emma immediately looked at the nurse and nodded.

"Excellent." The nurse and the guard began to wheel Seifer out of the room. Emma followed them closely behind, noticing that Seifer's breath was shortening. He closed his eyes as they turned down the medical hall.

Emma glanced in the windows of some of the rooms. There was a man eating his gown in one, another with a nurse having stitches sewn into their neck. A doctor with an escorted patient walked by.

"They died from the breast milk of their cunting mothers..." The man muttered to the doctor, who just nodded. "Don't you see doc? This is why we need to liquefy the propaganda of the cows brushing up on the lampposts!"

Seifer didn't belong here.

Emma began to gag at the smell of burnt flesh as they entered the Electro-shock room. It didn't seem to bother the rest of the party. Seifer kept his eyes closed, and he tried to appear calmer than he was. The small room contained a large leather table with a myriad of withering buckle-straps attached. Behind the table was monolithic brass and wood Dynamo that looked powerful enough to keep Dollet lit for a year.

"Emma, leave. Go. Please. Now. Just Gooooff---" Seifer was gagged by the rubber block inserted into his mouth. The nurse who had invited Emma along looked at her and smiled.

"Don't worry. He'll be fine." She put an oxygen mask over his mouth and walked over to Emma. "Would you like to know how this process works?" A shy nod.

"Electroshock is usually administered to our patients in a series of treatments. The patient's heart rate is monitored throughout the procedure, which actually lasts no more than ten minutes in the operating room."

The nurse walked over and started the process of an IV. "I am now putting in a moderate amount of Brevital, which should effect him in a few moments." Emma watched Seifer's eyes dilate. "Now Seifer, I want you to count backwards from ten." As Seifer counted backwards, Emma took his hand and held it tightly. She watched as Seifer's eyes struggled to stay open. His hand went limp and Emma stepped back as she watched him go into a deep sleep. The nurse walked to the other side of the table and began inserting another IV. "This is an IV of succinylcholine which relaxes the muscles."

"If he's unconscious, why would you need that?"

"So his muscles are relaxed enough to where he wont have any broken bones." She said with an unnerving smile. "Now, we will put conducting jelly on his temples and attach the electrodes." Emma witnessed the assistant doing so. "I will begin shortly. It will only be for 20 seconds. I suggest you stand back against the wall, away from the door."

"This isn't right…" 

Emma was snapped back into reality as the lights began to flash a blinding white. Were they already starting? As Emma looked down at the screaming 21-year-old through the rubber bite-down taped tight to his teeth. His head, torso, and limbs began to buck like they were jet propelled against the leather straps restraining him. As the massive of electricity from the Dynamo he was wired to punch into him like ten thousand razors at once. Emma reached for him instinctively…only to have the Doctor that walked in lunge in and yank her hand away.

Then everything stopped. The light show. The screaming…and Seifer, too. The only sound that was heard was Seifer's heavy panting. His body dropped back down on the table with a horrible thud. His eyes stared sightlessly. The doctor leaned over him with his stethoscope and examined the patient. And then he stood back up straight.

"Wonderful. You can take him back to his room now, Ava."


	3. The Decision

**Chapter Three: The Decision

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"No! No way! It's the worst idea yet!" Squall waved his hands in Quistis' face and walked into the Quad, the orange sunset reflecting on his red button down shirt.

Quistis followed him, relieved that no one was around. "Squall! We need him! I don't care what you two have had happen to the both of you but I want you to know we are in serious need of someone who has knowledge of the Mortali's…"

"The answer is no!" Squall spun around, his face filled with anger.

"This is unprofessional!" Quistis snapped back. Squall turned around and sighed.

"You…_you_ don't understand! I cannot just _order_ them to release him! It's not my authority!" He rested his arms against the railing and stared out into the sunset.

"Squall I know that! But I already spoke with Vinzer Deling's son, who IS in charge of Galbadia and he already gave me this!" Quistis pulled out an envelope. Squall ripped it from her hands.

"What is it?" He tore it open and read the contents. "To the headmaster of Balamb Garden…I have spoken with you colleague Quistis Trepe…"

"It's a letter of approval…to release Seifer." Squall looked up from the paper and sighed. "Squall, we need him to catch them. If we don't…you know what'll happen."

"You did this without me knowing? Why?"

"You know… you used to be kinder…until…" Quistis reached for his hand.

"—Look at me Quistis…I'm 21 years old and…I'm in charge of this fucking place." He took her hand in his. "I didn't ask for this. And then things got complicated after the compression. With Rinoa and her bullshit…and then us and Cid's retirement and then my…my fathers heart attack…"

"And your anger…" Quistis said quietly.

"And my anger…I just can't handle it anymore. I….Quistis…I'm sorry."

"It's fine, Squall." She wrapped her arms around him. "It's perfectly fine."

Zell, Nida, and Dr. Kadowaki waited at the main entrance to the Galbadian Mental Institution of the Criminally Insane. Clearance was worst here than it was at the prison.

"This is probably the worst idea Squall has mentioned yet." Nida said quietly, taking small puffs from his cigarette.

"It's because he's so fucking pussy whipped from Quist—"

"Zell!" Dr. Kadowaki glared at Zell and Nida. "You grown men need to learn to clean up your mouths. It's bad enough I have to hear it from the students."

"Yes Ma'am." Zell muttered.

"Sorry Ma'am." Nida sighed. Dr Kadowaki continued waiting patiently.

Seifer's doctor came towards the doors and stopped for a moment, arguing with the guard next to him. Finally, he walked out. Zell snickered, his imagination was right in matching a face to the voice over the phone. The Doctor was a tall slender man. The light seemed to collect on his black slick hair. Smarmy, Evil… Zell thought.

"I wish you would have given me warning, Mr. Dincht." The doctor checked his clipboard. "Bringing an unauthorized doctor to a hospital is …impractical."

"Well if I am going to be treating a patient I usually would like to meet them as soon as possible." Dr. Kadowaki could tell that this doctor did not want her to see Seifer in the state he was in.

"He just finished his treatment." The doctor said. "You cannot see him until he is awake."

"Fine. Then we'll wait."

"Get up! You've been released!" The guard opened the cell door and flipped on the light. Seifer shielded his eyes from the sudden brightness and looked around. He felt a blow to his ribs when he didn't get up fast enough. He rolled and fell out of bed. Cramped in a fetal position, holding his malnourished body, he looked up at the guard who flung the tip of his boot into Seifer's arm. Seifer began to feel weary. As he was trying to get up, two guards had walked in and shut the door behind them.

"Yeah…Don't worry honey… yeah he's here, he's not awake though…. we don't know….yeah….its weird to say but I think someone came in and beat his ass before we showed up…well, that's the problem…yeah." Zell was talking into his phone when Seifer began to regain consciousness. He felt the vibrations of a vehicle, and the occasional warm hand over his head. His body throbbed. He tried opening his eyes, but he was too weak to even try. So he laid there, listening in on Zell's conversation. "…We're at Timber now. We can't bring him to Garden safely over the water highway with the weather as severe as it is."

"I can drive through this, Zell. It's not a problem. It's only a thunderstorm." Seifer could hear Nida's voice from the front seat. "Weather conditions are clearer in Balamb than they are in Timber."

"It's probably a good idea…" said Dr. Kadowaki. "He's very sick. I need to get some proper medication. I cannot believe that they let him get this ill…"

"…Dr Kadowaki is here to make sure he's stable and healthy….Well, I guess I'll let you go….because its late, and I need to help Dr. K with Seifer. Haha. Shut up. I love you too. Bye, Sephie." Zell shut the phone off and started talking to Nida. Seifer couldn't understand what he was saying to him, but he could hear what Dr. Kadowaki was upset about.

"…raised him….almost like a child…cursed malpractices…poor Seifer…"

"Mhhmm…" Seifer weakly opened his eyes halfway, only to close them from the overhead light blinding him.

"Seifer?" Zell waved his hands over his face.

Dressed, fed, and cleaned in new clothes and treated wounds, Seifer was escorted to the Headmasters office by Zell. When they opened the red doors, there stood Quistis, Selphie, Rinoa and Squall.

"Seifer!"

"_You see, this is why weapons are easier to kill a monster than magic." Seifer commanded, taking a swing at Emma with a Galbadian sword. Emma defensively threw up Seifer's Hyperion. When he was instructing her, his voice was low, seductive, yet, commanding. "G.F's are useless at times," Another swing, another clash. "Especially when you are silenced." He put his hand up to tell her to stop. The weight of the blade caused her to slip and make the blade hit the ground every so often. "Gunblades are more secure in my opinion. Yes, they're harder to handle, but…" He reached out for Emma's hand that was on the trigger. He spun behind her and slipped his finger over hers. He pressed against it, causing the gun to fire and hit the target on the wall. The target was torn in half. "They're guaranteed to keep you safe." He moved away with grace and picked up his weapon. He nodded and blocked a charge Emma had tried. "Come on, Mortali!" He swung at her. He missed her arm by a foot._

"_Watch out! You almost hit me." She yelled. Seifer lowered his head and sighed. _

"_I guess I was wrong about this weapon being right for you."_

_Emma had taken this as an insult and picked up Hyperion and charged and Seifer once again. Luckily, she had the blade sideways. When Seifer saw what she was doing he spun and kicked the blade, which caused her to spin around and slip. The trigger shot fire rounds into the air. Seifer grabbed his trench coat and flew onto Emma, covering the two of them with his coat. _

_He fell on top of her, his own body surrounding her small frame. She felt the fire rounds fall on top of his coat and dissipate. _

"_You don't have to get so angry, Mortali. It's only your second day." She could feel his chest vibrate when he spoke. It made her want to press her head closer to his chest but didn't. He shifted his weight, looking down at her. He pressed his lips up against hers, holding them there for a moment, kissing her deeply. _

He pulled me up with a quick motion, causing my body to fall forward into his. My chest pressed against his as I breathed heavily. I just stood there, my body against his, not really wanting to move. His heart was beating against my breastbone, which made my own beat faster. I looked up into Seifer's eyes, our chests still molded together, our hands still intertwined. He looked at me, a look of surprise and something else that I couldn't place my finger on. We just looked at each other, becoming oblivious to our surroundings. Seifer then cleared his throat, disentangling himself from my grip, breaking the link of our hands.

Rinoa's mouth dropped, unaware of his return. "What are you doing here!"

"Rin." Zell put a hand up. "Not now."

"Hello, Rinoa." Seifer said and began to make his way over to Squall.

"Squall…would you mind telling me exactly _why _you released me?" Seifer asked coolly, waiting for Squall to turn his head and speak. But he didn't. He looked at Squall oddly. "Ok so is everyone just going to give me my life back, and ignore me?"

"You unappreciative bast--" Squall began to charge at Seifer, but was stopped by Quistis.

"That's enough for now!" Quistis groaned, sitting the two men across from each other.

"Just begin already! I left Lula with Mrs. Dincht and I don't want her to wait for us!" Selphie shouted and threw her arms down, annoyed.

"Fine…I'll begin…Rinoa, could you call Squad B in please?" Rinoa nodded at Quistis and left the room.

"So where's the cowboy?" Seifer asked, putting his feet up on the long glass table.

"He, is in Deling at the moment. He had some…" Quistis lowered her voice when Rinoa returned. "other _personal _business."

"He will be back sometime next month." Rinoa said, sitting down. "He promised we'd go to Esthar and have a vacation toget--."

"Okay, I need to make sure that you're all here." Quistis pulled out a clipboard and began checking off names. She stopped for a moment and looked around the room. "Sindel Dincht— Zell, where's your nephew?"

As the door swung open, a young redhead, looking the age of eight or nine, ran through the doors and stopped in front of Zell. S-sorry Uncle Zell…I g-got lost--WOW! It's the real Seifer Almasy! I've got all of your magazine clippings! Did you know that you were on the front cover of Weapons Monthly! But sir…why are you so battered up?" Sindel sat beside Seifer, who scooted closer to the edge of the table.

"Ahem…Sindel…" Zell shook his head.

"Okay…let's begin…first of all, to anyone outside this room, this meeting never happened. This is _strictly_ confidential to any average student. Most of the staff has no idea, none of the students do either. Nobody is to know about it. Understood! And second, as you all know, Seifer Almasy has come to help us out…" Sindel grinned widely at Seifer, who just smirked at the boy. "…he is our key advisor on the field…watch from him _and_ learn from him. Just from my experience from teaching, Seifer is a very intelligent intellectual…."

"Psh…" Seifer mumbled.

"…and very honest." Quistis spoke louder. "If we are going to complete this mission successfully I recommend we work and learn from each other as a team, as is the SeeD way." Quistis sat down in her chair by Squall and watched as Zell and Selphie stood and walked to the front of the room. The lights dimmed, and a transparent blue screen appeared on the desk. Selphie cleared her throat.

"We believe that the Mortali Hitmen are responsible for the terrorist attacks…" Seifer looked at the screen to see a picture of a man appear. The Mortali's include: Evers Mortali, age 33…he is the head foreman in the group…along with his son, Lux. Age is 14, and specializes in locations and directions…After that is Cort 'Tricky T.' Gunner…age 20…" As Selphie droned on about his information, Zell leaned in by Seifer.

"We believe that that is your replacement after you were caught." Zell whispered and sat down next to Seifer.

"Replacement?" Seifer looked up at Zell.

"Next is Seri, age 24. She's a specialist in pyrotechnics…"

"Yeah, after you left, this guy was hired to complete your duties to…Edea. But by that time—"

"You guys ended up taking the show over." Seifer finished. Zell nodded, biting his fingernails.

"Then there is Morus, age 28…he is very powerful with the melee arts…there is Fik and Mik ages are 21… they specialize in kidnapping and inventory."

"I'll tell you more after she's done." Zell stood back up.

"…And finally, Luda a.k.a. Emma Mortali …"

Seifer shot his eyes up at the screen to see a badly drawn sketch of Emma. "_Rinoa must've done it._" He joked and smiled to himself.

Selphie began to walk around the room as she spoke of Emma. "…Age 19, she took her mothers name to honor, and was known as 'Daddy's little terrorist' when only a year old when he had sneaked her into the Presidential Palace in Esthar, with a camera in her stuffed bear. This is the one that we need to be cautious for. A convicted infiltrator, murderess, thief, and terrorist. She sided with Seifer Almasy and the well-known Sorceress Edea Kramer exactly one year ago as their own personal spy and—"

"Emma wasn't a spy." Seifer said defensively. Squall looked up at Seifer with a glare.

"Just remember to be on your guard…end of briefing." The lights returned and the screen disappeared. Seifer came back to reality.

Squall stood and made his announcement. "Tomorrow, after the dinner party, you are to meet up back in here where I shall discuss our mission. The following morning, we disperse. I will give you each a list of what you will need and what your duties are to Galbadia-Balamb United. Any questions?" He pointed at a black haired student, who stood up as well.

"Sir…how do you know if we are to trust this…man as you call him?" He pointed at Seifer in disgust. "…I mean, what if we-- I mean say that we were to have him put us in the open, after giving us false information, how are we to protect ourselves from getting injured or worse: dead?" Seifer began to chuckle at the young man and stood up.

"What's your name kid?" Seifer asked.

"My name is Mape Krackki." He said carelessly.

"Well, Mr. Krackki. I can assure you that I would rather be out here than be put back in that Hyne-awful cell that they dare call home for me…"

"And your point is sir?" Mape folded his arms across his chest.

Seifer walked to the front of the room with his hands behind his back and faced the window. "My point is…Mr. Krackki, that I won't be making any wrong decisions, I won't be giving you any false information of any kind. Because if I do…" Seifer turned around. "…I will be back right where I was in the first place. And where would that get me?" He walked out of the room.

"This meeting is concluded. Enjoy your lunch." Quistis said with a warm smile.


	4. Dinner and a Meeting

**Chapter Four: Dinner and a Meeting

* * *

**

Seifer straightened the tie around his neck, making sure he looked decent for his re-appearance into the world. Looking around at the features of his formerly untouched bedroom, he slowly collected old memories from the past. The neat little stacks of magazines on his desk…a flat screen computer beside it. His closet, neatly clean, with his infamous trench coat inside, and finally, his side table, where he kept a picture of Emma and himself on it, at her SeeD inauguration.

"Are you sure you want to do this? What if you get caught?" Morus asked Emma before she stepped out of the car.

"…I'm positive. Thanks for being my chauffeur…" She gave him a hug and stepped out. "I'm a spy remember? I know when I'm in danger."

A purple sky shot with orange, in the west. Drifting strains of classic music could be heard in a distant from where the garden was located by Dollet. Seifer hated it almost instantly. Dashing in his black-tie tuxedo, right down to his shiny black suede shoes. Seifer stepped in and his breath was taken away by the splendor spread out before him. Overhead was the enormous glass dome, with a crystal chandelier at its center. Sweeping down six stories was the staircase, with new guests entering the room. Seifer looked around for a moment. Examining the women in their floor length dresses, elaborate hairstyles and abundant jewelry... the gentlemen in evening dress, standing with one hand at the small of the back, talking quietly.

Seifer descended the stairs. Several men nodded a perfunctory greeting. He nodded back, keeping it simple, and hating it with a passion.

He played the role smoothly, nodding with just the right degree of disdain. Squall and Zell came down the stairs, with Quistis and Selphie on their arms, covered in jewelry. They both walked right past Seifer, Squall nodded at him, and one gent to another. But Seifer barely had time to be amused. For just behind Squall and Quistis on the stairs was Emma, a vision in pale gold, Her low-cut dress showing off her neck and shoulders, her arms sheathed in red gloves that came well above the elbow. Black rimmed glasses, and her hair, in a black bun in the back. Seifer was suddenly hypnotized by her beauty. But then realized something. He grabbed her hand and looked up at her.

"What are you doing here?" He whispered almost inaudibly.

"I came to see you…I found out through my brother you had been released." Emma led Seifer out onto the dance floor, where they began to dance to an elegant tune, closely identical to Waltz to the Moon. Seifer leaned in towards her ear and smiled warmly.

"You are the one who's beautiful…but you cannot stay here. They are after you for the assassination attempt." Seifer whispered calmly and then pulled away from her, gazing into her sapphire eyes.

"Seifer…" Emma looked back at his aqua eyes, smiling sadly. "They'll never be able to catch me."

"Seifer!" Zell and Selphie walked up towards the two. Emma felt her hand being squeezed by Seifer's.

"Who's this?" Zell asked cheerfully.

"This is Tera…Tera Rhich." Seifer quickly replied. Emma looked at the Zell and Selphie and bowed for them. "She's from Esthar and is visiting her parents in Dollet."

"Ah…you know, I have a cousin who lives in Dollet he has a ship on the sixth pier." Zell said slyly.

"But…that's impossible. Dollet only has five piers." Emma said and watched as Zell warmly smiled and took her hand.

"My name is Zell Dincht. I am the vice president of Balamb Garden. This is my fiancé, Selphie Tilmitt. She is the Headmaster of Trabia Garden."

"Oh dear…I am so sorry. It was most definitely a close call for you. Are you all right?" Emma put her hand to her mouth and sighed sympathetically.

"Oh, I'm fine. Just rattled. I didn't know what I'd do had I not have gotten the prank phone call to come here." Selphie smiled at Zell, not noticing the look on Emma's face.

"A p-prank phone call?" Emma asked carelessly, feeling the squeezing grip on Seifer's hand.

"Oh…well, you know how you get prank phone calls telling you when the garden is going to explode! Haha then EVERYONE gets into a tussle!" She replied cheerfully. "Ooh! Look sweetie! Irvine and Rinoa are here!" Selphie dragged Zell away and the two were left alone again.

"Seifer…I need to talk to you…" Emma led Seifer onto the balcony and hugged him tightly. "What is going on?"

"What? What do you mean?" Seifer pulled her away and looked into her eyes again.

"What are you doing out?" Emma looked down. "I came up there today to see you and you had been released."

"I had another hearing… and I passed their evaluation." Seifer wrapped his arms around her tightly. "I'm out for good. I promise. Things are going to be better soon..."

"I hope so." She said quietly. Seifer led Emma back out onto the dance floor, and out of the ballroom, but were stopped by Squall.

"Seifer…it's time for the meeting…" He said, looking at Emma. "And this is?"

"Oh! My name is Tera Rhich. And you are?" Emma said bowing her head.

"Headmaster Squall Leonhart…" He nodded his head in respect at the two. "Seifer…it's time for the meeting."

"You said that already…Squall." Seifer said and walked past his rival with Emma.

"I should go." Emma said and released his arm and glided down the stairs.

"What?" Seifer began to follow her. She stopped and turned around.

"Seifer…just watch your back…please." Emma smoothened out his jacket. "Be careful." She turned on her heels and left. Seifer sighed and turned to go back into the ballroom to see Squall, arms folded and a cross look on his face.

"What is it now Leonheartless?" He taunted and smirked.

It's time for the meeting…follow me."


	5. A Narcotic Waltz

**Chapter Four: A Narcotic Waltz

* * *

**

"How is he?" Morus asked when Emma stepped into the car. She buckled her seatbelt and rested her head on the back of the seat.

"…He's…I don't know. It's hard to tell…" Emma said and looked at the older man. "Sir…do you remember when he lost it? When he overdosed?" Morus nodded slowly, concentrating more on the traffic.

"I'm just worried he might try 'it' again."

"Whatever gave you idea?"

"The way he was acting…he had tears in his eyes when I left…like when he was arrested."

Seifer rolled onto his back for the third time since the meeting. He had a sick feeling as he lied in the darkness on his bed. Squalls words still lingering in his clouded mind.

"_You want me to snitch on them." Seifer said coldly. _

_Quistis and Zell sighed. "No, Seifer. We need you to find out where they are hiding and inform us so we can make the arrest."_

"_And the difference between this and snitching is…?" Seifer knew what they were trying to get him to do. He knew that they were using him to get through to the Mortali's. _

Seifer closed his eyes tightly and then opened them again. _"What mission? I can't be a part of this." _He thought to himself, looking behind him and out the window. The rain poured heavily on the window and soothed Seifer's pained heart. He sighed and sat up, picking up his dorm phone, dialing Emma's number.

_"The number you are trying to reach is busy if you would like auto-redial to call you back--" _Seifer threw the phone across the room and sighed.

"I need Numb."

_"…Press three…if you subscribed to auto redial we will call you back when the line is no longer busy…"_ Emma hung up the phone and looked out of the window of her father's private condo. The rain fell lightly on her marble balcony, dampening the hand that rested there.

With Marilyn Manson's song 'Sweet Dreams' playing in the background, Seifer reached into his sock drawer and pulled out a black leather zip up bag. He unzipped it, pulling out a razorblade, a hypodermic syringe; spoon, lighter, and three baggies labeled 'Numb', 'Hara-kiri' and 'Happy Day' in black marker.

Emma began to pull on a green jacket and grabbed her car keys. She walked down the hall and the stairs. Lux was sitting in the Living room and stood up when his older sister passed by him.

"Emma something's wrong—"

"Not now Luxius," She said and walked out the door.

Seifer pulled out the baggie labeled 'Numb' and poured some into the burnt spoon. He lit the lighter and held it underneath the spoon, turning the powder into liquidated heroin.

_"Seifer…you don't want to do this…" Emma gasped quietly reaching for the 18-year-old holding the gun to his head. "Put the gun down…"_

_"Why should I fucking listen to you? You're the one who brought the entire Esthar army here to save me!" He cocked the gun. _

_"Seifer…please…they followed me…it's over…let's go and get out of here." Emma slowly walked up the stairs and to the platform where Seifer stood. He aimed it at Emma with a shaky bruised hand. _

_"Stay the fuck back or I'll shoot!" _

Seifer quietly winced as he pushed the needle and watched it as it went into his vein. And watched as the blood gushed back into the syringe, mixing with the heroin. And then felt the drug enter his body and swim through his veins as he pushed his thumb down on the plunger.

Emma slid into her black Eclipse and started the engine, after putting it into gear; she drove to the nearest train station. She picked up her phone and redialed Seifer's number. No answer.

The song had changed to Kaboom-Kaboom, triggering the remaining flashback of horror. Seifer reached over for the blade that he had used to cut his lines.

"She never loved me anyway."

He pressed it to his forearm; cutting away at the pale flesh and watching as the blood fell onto the floor and his pants. He moaned in self-satisfactory. It had been forever since he was able to take any form of drugs. The ones he was able to take in prison weren't the same.

_The gun fired and the bullet grazed Emma's neck, inches away from her jugular. She fell back, hitting her head on the metal edge of the table, her black hair fluttering as she fell, unconscious from the shock and pain. _

"_E…Emma?"_

Seifer tossed the bag labeled 'Hara-kiri' back in the black bag. Taking his trusty hundred-dollar bill like a human Dust-Buster, he quickly snorted up the fat line. Suddenly his head jerked back. His hands flew to his nose, which felt like it was on fire. And then realized something was terribly wrong. Then...the rush hit...

_"Operator…"_ A feminine voice said practiced through the phone.

"Yes, ah, could you please give me the dorm number to ID number 41250 please?" Emma shoved her keys in her pocket and sat down in one of the red plush seats in the train and pulling out a piece of paper and a pen from her jacket pocket.

_"One moment…I'm sorry but the ID information your requesting is classified."_ Emma thought for a moment and then had an idea.

"Well, then I'll allow you to speak to Quistis Trepe and you can tell her this…one moment please." She held the phone away and quietly cleared her throat. Returning with a thick refined accent.

"This is Instructor number fourteen, Quistis Trepe speaking." Emma said almost perfectly.

_"Oh, Miss Trepe! I apologize. You know how important it is to have the safety of our students." _The operator began to ramble when Emma finally interrupted her.

"Yes…well…the dorm number please?"

_"Oh! I apologize ma'am. Its number 272…is there anything else ma'am?" _

"Yes, just allow my associate Miss Tera Rhich from Dollet through." Emma said with a smirk.

_"Yes ma'am…I will most certainly tell the guard."_

"Thank you." Emma hung up the phone and shoved it into her pocket.

Seifer, on all fours tried to crawl to the bathroom, but it was as if he was trying to crawl with the bones removed from his knees. He felt the blood begin to drip from his nose. Then his stomach began to join into the act and the red and white vomit spewed from out of his mouth and down his shirt and floor. When he tried to crawl to the shower, he slipped in his own vomit and he collapsed. He stared at his watch for the longest while. Time had stopped at 11:23:34.

Emma rushed through the door to Seifer's dorm as she found him lying on the floor like a rag doll. Twisted on his back, blood and puke spilt down his white long-sleeved front, his face contorted. But not out of the tightness of pain, but just the opposite, the muscles in his face were so relaxed; still with his mouth wide open and slack-jawed.

Emma moved to Seifer's fallen body. Bending down where he lay, she placed her fingers on his neck to check his pulse. He slightly stirred, aware of Emma over him, speaking to him.

"Seifer! Seifer! What the hell happened?" Emma lifted his head, blood and vomit spilling onto her hands.

Unable to communicate, Seifer made a few lost mumbles, blood still draining from his nose. Unfortunately, the mumbles were not distinctive enough to be called words.

Emma propped his eyelids open and saw the story clearly, even with his eyes dead to the world and being a pale gray. She could see that he took a wrong drug.

"Seifer! Seifer! What did you take? Answer me honey, what did you take?" She gently shook his head. But Seifer was incapable of answering.

Emma sprung up and ran towards his trenchcoat hanging on the rack by his closet. She went through the pockets frantically, finding nothing but a pack of cigarettes and his keys. Then, she discovered the black bag and rushed to his bed to find that it was empty. She made a beeline to Seifer to see the syringe at the end of the bed and the rolled up bloody dollar bill by his feet.

"Okay honey, we're getting you on your feet." Emma reached for him and hoisted the dead weight up in her arms and dragged him to his bed., noticing something else. He had slit his arms up upwards and downwards. She checked his pulse again to find it nearly gone. She reached for the phone and began dialing the infirmary.

"…Dr. Kadowaki--"

"Doctor! I need you to get down to dorm 420! Seifer Almasy has overdosed and is barely--" Emma said, her voice droning out from Seifer's ears as she looked at him and his slack-jawed expression, his mouth gaping, and his posture resembling a bag of water.

Seifer weakly lifted his eyes to see Zell, Doctor Kadowaki, and a few other faces he couldn't piece together. The bright lights of the Infirmary's Emergency Care Room blinding him, and the feeling of his stomach being pumped reminded him of how he got into this mess.

_"Yeah this here's called Numb…it numbs you out completely…" The dealer handed Seifer a small baggie. "Now, this is called Happy Blow. It's coke. Good stuff from the mountains up north." He handed Seifer another baggie. Seifer looked at it and then looked up at the frail junkie. _

_"What about the suicide shit you sell to everyone?" He asked adventitiously, making sure Emma didn't hear him all the way from down the corridor. _

_"Hara-kiri? Right here…." The man gave Seifer a third baggie, but this time, he didn't let go. "You do realize that you have a higher risk of overdosing…." _

_Seifer rolled his eyes and handed the dealer a small bag of gil. And shoved the three substances into his pocket._

Their voices distorted, sounding as if he was underwater, Seifer turned his head to see Emma, disguised in glasses and black hair, talking to Squall, who was looking at Seifer.

"Seifer…on't….ie….on…sss!" Zell yelled. His voice, broken up and electronic, his face and arms that were shoving another tube down Seifer's throat. "Don't…move!" Was the only thing Seifer could understand. Then he felt the gag reflex and threw up again. Then he felt the sting of peroxide on his arms, the arms he had cut with the blade that cut up the mistaken drug.

"What…th….uck…are…those…f..om!" He heard Zell ask Quistis. One of the faces Seifer now recognized.

"He needs stitches on this one. Selphie! Get stitches and more antibacterial!" Quistis yelled to Selphie, who was busy helping Dr. Kadowaki with the machines and supplies.

"This is going to suspend the mission… isn't it?" Rinoa asked, reaching for Squall's arm. Squall sighed and closed his eyes.

"Go and get Zell for me, please." He said quietly.

As Rinoa exited the Infirmary, Emma passed her way in the hallway. She stopped and turned, not able to identify whom it was who walked by.

"Mr. Leonhart?" Emma took a big chance approaching him. She disguised herself once again, looking meek and afraid. Squall stood up and shook her hand.

"Tera, I want to thank you for being there before it was too late." Squall smiled and offered her his seat.

"Mr. Leonhart, could you do something for me?" She asked, her heart pounding.

"What is it?"

"Could I stay here for the night, to see if Seifer recovers fine?"

"Hmm…" Squall tapped his chin with his index finger and nodded quietly. "I can arrange that. You'll have to stay in the Infirmary with Dr. Kadowaki."


	6. Recovery and Reprimand

**Chapter Six: Recovery and Reprimand

* * *

**

"Uuhh…" Was all Seifer could say after he awoken from out of his state.

"Shut up Almasy…you put us in enough stress already." Rinoa commanded and gently yanked the IV out of Seifer's hand.

"S…orry." Seifer breathed out. Heavily drugged from the Morphine. Rinoa shot him another look and peeled off the patches that were glued onto Seifer's bare chest. She stood up and left the room.

"You're lucky we didn't have to shock you Seifer…" Dr. Kadowaki said and checked his arms again. She dabbed them with some more peroxide and left. Rinoa came back in with a pair of bandages. She sat down by the bed and started wrapping Seifer's arms.

"…_"Tera"_ is here, by the way…she's lucky to have found you when she did…Hara-kiri is a very powerful and lethal type of Heroin. You should've died…"

"You mean I took heroin by mistake?" Seifer asked groggily. Rinoa nodded. "Oh fuck…" Seifer chuckled lightly and relaxed a little.

That was until, Zell and Quistis entered the room and surrounded him. Rinoa finished wrapping up Seifer's arms and stood up to hug Zell, then she left.

"Where's Tera?" Seifer mumbled.

"Was here…but she left with Selphie to go get some supplies from Balamb." Zell said quietly, arms folded across his chest. "Squall went with them…"

"Seifer…we want to talk to you about what happened." Quistis said, sitting down on one of the chairs by the bed.

"I don't'." Seifer rolled onto his stomach, moaning at the sudden cramp in his gut. Zell turned him over to where he was on his back again. Looking out at the cloudy morning sky. _"Another day of rain."_ Seifer thought.

"Well, we do…Seifer." Zell said sternly. "Are you aware that in Code 4B, Article 2 that No drugs or any other illegal substance is not to be permitted in the Garden with no exceptions?" Zell stated.

"Yeah well, maybe life would be oh so simpler if the great Seifer wasn't around anymore." Seifer said with a sigh.

"Is that what it is?" Zell asked quietly.

"Where is all this coming from?" Dr. Kadowaki asked with a choke.

Zell put his hands on his hips and shook his head. "Oh Seifer…Quistis…could you go with Dr. Kadowaki to take a break and have some coffee? I need to talk to Seifer alone…" Zell said, his gaze not leaving Seifer's. Quistis got up immediately and hurried out the door with Dr. Kadowaki.

Seifer sighed and sat up cautiously on the edge of the bed, his face buried in his hands. Zell sat beside Seifer and looked at his feet.

"Seifer…you're the only shot we've got at catching the Mortali's. Thanks to last night's issue, we have to postpone this mission we have been planning since last week." He gritted his teeth and sighed.

"Fuck this mission." Seifer stood up and stretched carefully.

"Seifer…you overdosed…you should've died on the table!" Zell waved his hands towards the emergency room. "Seifer…it is my job as the vice president…to either send you back to the D-District…or you promise us that you will allow for us to help you….so…the choice is yours…you either choose wisely or you have me choose." Zell said quietly and stood up, leaving Seifer by himself in the cold infirmary.

"...Where are you going?" He asked the tattooed blonde, who replied with a smile.

"I am going to go catch up on my sleep...after I wash off the puke and blood that which _you_ spewed all over me." Zell chuckled and left the room in silence. "And get dressed and meet Quistis and Dr. Kadowaki in the cafeteria, they need to talk to you too.

"Sex." Squall took a gulp of his coffee. "Seifer was always indulged with sex. Nothing more, nothing less…it got him into trouble a few times as well."

"Really?" Emma asked, an odd expression on her pale skinned face.

"Yes… I…we were both assigned to the same dorm room…" Squall chuckled a bit and picked up a fork and started stabbing at his Balamb Fish Filet Special. "And every night, he'd leave for an hour and then come back with either Fujin, or some other girls and I would have to be the one who'd have to listen to them and their illicit sexual intercourse." He stuck his fork in his mouth, along with a bite of the cooked fish.

"…It's funny to think…Seifer and Fujin fucking…" Selphie giggled and stabbed her pasta.

"Even funnier to think of the time that Seifer had a threesome with Raijin and Fujin together." Emma said and poked at her salad. Squall nearly choked on his wine, and Selphie gasped loudly.

"They didn't!" Selphie exclaimed, putting her hands to her face.

"No, but Raijin videotaped Seifer and Fujin together. Once."

"Oh." Squall swallowed. "I remember that."

Selphie laughed and finished her glass. "So how did you and Seifer meet?"

"Um, actually I don't really remember."

Emma paused for a moment and then laughed out loud. "Thanks to using G.F's… I don't remember much of anything anymore." Emma suddenly frowned.

"What?" Squall leaned forward.

"Tera?" Selphie leaned towards her and touched her shoulder. Emma looked up and her and smiled.

"I just wish we could come up with a way to not have to pay a price that heavy." Selphie said quietly. "I want to be able to remember my child's childhood."

"It's a sacrifice." Squall said. "A sacrifice everyone must pay."

"Evers….isn't that Emma?" Mara grabbed her binoculars and looked across the street from above the building. Evers stopped wiring and looked as well.

"What the fuck is she doing?" Her father muttered and picked up his radio. "Cort…look down below…" He looked up above him and saw Cort and his sniper rifle turn to his left.

"Motherfuck…" Cort cocked his rifle and spoke into his headset. "What the fuck is she doing!"

"And look who's in her company." Fik pointed to whom she sat next to.

"My daughter… my own daughter…betrayed us." Evers sighed.

"What do we do, sir?" Mara asked.

"…We continue. She's one of them now. "

"So when are you popping the question to Quisty?" Selphie asked.

"I've got the ring." Squall said. "I think I might do it after the mission."

Emma picked up her phone and held it to her ear. "Hold on… hello?"

"_You fucking cunt. You fucking betraying little self-centered BITCH!…" _Cort said and looked at the raven-haired beauty through a set of binoculars, whose eyes darted around the street. "_So you shot her huh? She looks pretty alive for a dead woman…_"

"Cort…" Emma stood up, trying to act calm. She walked away from Squall and Selphie a ways and spoke quietly into the phone. "She is pregnant, I couldn't do it." She chuckled lightly at Squall, who smiled back nervously at her. Emma looked around, noticing all of the innocent civilians that wandered in the small downtown area of Balamb. And that was when Emma suddenly felt alone again. "Cort please… I cannot talk right now, I'll see you when I get back!"

"What the fuck are you talking about Emma?" Cort walked around, he noticed the odd look on his comrade-in-training gave him as he spoke. "You really have turned against us.."

"_No! I would never!_"

"Sure… Is that why you fled? You're father isn't too pleased."

"_What do you mean? It was an emergency…_"

"You disgusting vile little bitch!"

"_Cort, please!_"

"Emma, you can't be helped now. You can die with the rest of your friends." Cort yelled and hung up on Emma.

Emma gasped and looked at Squall.

"Tera? Is everything ok?"

It was her turn to smile nervously. She looked around and noticed a group of men leave the building. Cort looked at her and waved, a cell phone in his hand. Emma turned to Squall and then back to the tall building. She closed her eyes, trying to concentrate. She sat back down and smiled back and Selphie and Squall.

"You ok?" Selphie asked.

"I'm fine." She smiled.

"We should head back to the Garden." Squall said, standing up and pushing his chair in.

Then it was at that moment, when they heard the explosion. The trio watched the top of the building cave in.

Then the panic rushed. People ran and screamed. Squall grabbed Selphie and pushed her in the alley. He ran back for Emma but couldn't find her. Instead he saw panic and destruction. He watched the concrete fall from the walls of the building and land on cars and people. He found Emma staring at the building.

"I could have stopped this." She said; closing her eyes again, and falling to the ground… unconscious, feeling a sharp pain in her side… like it had been shot.

_The deathly thud of a body falling made Emma turn her body around. But when she turned around, she saw him. The cowboy in leather. He tilted his hat and then smiled. _

"_I thought I told you to stay put…" He said and aimed the gun at the woman in the red dress. _

"_How could I not?" She asked. A shot fired next to her. Emma screamed and turned to run. She squeezed through the gates of the bridge and ran past the float. She witnessed Seifer in his glory, even when caged. He saw her and went after her. _

"_STOP!" Seifer commanded. Emma complied. He spun her around and gripped onto her tightly. "What are you doing here, girl?" Emma was shocked. He never called her 'girl' in his life. He pulled her closer. Through gritted teeth he whispered. _

"_I fucking told you to stay in the palace!" He pushed her away from him and turned to return to his sorceress. _

"_I know, but Seifer I saw someone…" She followed him, but was stopped by the back of his hand. She fell back and began to cry when he lifted her back up at eye level. _

"_Just… go…Emma…this is going to get ugly…just run…and don't stop." He whispered through gritted teeth._

_This time Emma lifted her skirt up and ran. She stopped once more and watched Seifer engage into battle. She watched him for the longest time. _

"_What are you doing out of your cage, birdie?" A voice from behind her asked. _

"_Sei---f…!"_

Squall lifted Emma up, putting his hand over her wound. The sounds of screams and cries mixed with the sound of the building collapsing deafened his ears and paralyzed his ability to speak or move. He lifted Emma up in his arms and swiftly carried her away from the hulking remains of the downtown. He rushed into the alley and lay Emma down on the ground and pulled out his cell phone… muttering to himself.

"This is bad…bad…fuck…" Squall put the phone up to his hear and waited patiently for Zell to answer his phone. "Goddamn….ZELL! There's been an accident…"


	7. Reality

**Chapter Seven: Reality  
**

**_This chapter is for mature audiences only._**

**

* * *

**

Emma opened her eyes to see the victims of the bombing attack. Mothers and fathers; with their children. Pained and frightened. The elders either in shock or searching for a lost one all rested at the Harbor of Balamb. The smell of blood, dust and death filled the air and clogged Emma's nose with hatred. She choked back a sob when she saw a family crying because a falling car had crushed their mother's body. Paramedics ran around to various people, asking if they had been treated or if they needed anything.

"This wouldn't be so devastating had we been allowed to keep our G.F's and Magic. I hope this tragedy will help the Council change their minds. They've reported that they've found a few dead. If I had a phoenix down…" She saw Squall talking to Quistis and Dr. Kadowaki, which made her feel more relieved but her heart still sank when she saw that Squalls hands were bandaged and a patch on his neck.

"They won't even let us use Cure on the wounded… it's so irresponsible of the Council!" Then she saw Zell and Selphie talking to Mrs. Dincht, who was sitting on a bench, patting Selphie. But where was Seifer?

Emma sat up, her stomach bandaged in a thick white cloth, blood had barely seeped through on the side. She felt a firm hand press down on her shoulder, forcing her to lie back down. She looked up to see Seifer, dressed in a baby blue short-sleeved satin shirt, an undershirt and black slacks. His sunglasses covered his eyes to where Emma was unable to tell whether if he was angry or sympathetic at her, for his pale lips only told her that he was neither.

"What happened?" He asked as he kneeled down beside her, taking her hand in his.

"…." Emma said nothing. It was her fault for even being there.

Seifer sighed and helped Emma stand. "Come on Emma… I'm going to drive you home."

"_Emma?"_ Squall turned around and looked at the couple.

"Can you stand?"

Emma nodded slightly and watched Seifer half-walk, half-jog up to Zell and spoke with him for a little and then rush back to her side and the two walked to Seifer's car.

When they passed Squall, Emma stopped and touched his shoulder. He looked at her numbly and nodded. "Are you ok, Tera?"

"I think so." She said and walked off.

Seifer sat her in the passenger's seat and closed the door. He walked over to the driver's seat and slipped in. He fixed the steering wheel to his preference and shoved the keys into the ignition. Cold's song 'Bleed' played softly in the car as it started to rain. Emma choked back a sob when she looked back at the smoke, fading as Seifer drove away from the tragedy.

"_Why am I feeling this way? I've never felt like this before…except when…_" Emma closed her blue eyes and felt a hand on hers. She covered her face with her other hand and began gasping for air. Then, she felt Seifer pull the car over and reach out to hold her.

"Hey… Emma… it's okay…" Seifer muttered softly into her ear. Emma dug her face into his firm chest and began to cry.

"It…I've never--"

"I know…it's okay--"

"NO IT'S NOT!" Emma screamed, and pushed Seifer away. She winced in pain as she opened the car door and got out. The rain washed her face with the stinging feeling of needles on her dusty face. She heard Seifer slam his door and walk towards her as she gazed at the destruction of the downtown with new eyes.

"See why I left?" Seifer said, rubbing his eyes. "This is why I couldn't stand to be with the Mortali's anymore." He turned her around and pressed his forehead up to hers. "The thought…of seeing you in pain or anguish…kills me. I… can't stand that. I can't stand it at all." He looked at the road and got back in the car. Emma stood for a moment and got back in the car.

They didn't speak to each other after that until they got to the Garden.

"Quistis, she has no place to go… she was um….kicked out because of some…personal reasons." Seifer said in a low whisper. He looked back at Emma, who was lying on his bed, the sheets covering her whole body. It had been hours since the attack. Luckily, everyone was recovering, making soon-to-be plans for the mission, but whereas, with Emma, she was still broken.

Her heart hurt worse than the healing scrape on her waist. But she could care less about the gash. What she felt was worse than anything she'd ever felt before…but yet, she couldn't piece it together. There was still something missing.

"Well, Seifer…" Quistis sat on one of the steel stools by Seifer's table, pulling out a folder from her bag. She opened it up, and started fingering through countless papers, finally pulling one out that said at the top: COMMUNAL DORMATORIES and below it, had the name SEIFER COLIN ALMASY and below it, SQUALL ALEC LEONHART.

"What's that for?" Seifer asked.

"She's going to need a place to stay… and from what you've told me, she's not going to get very far with nowhere to go. She's going to stay here…only Squall, Zell, Selphie and myself will know about this…" She stopped for a moment. "This is going to make it harder for us with the mission."

"I know. She won't have a clue what's going on."

Quistis erased Squall's name and looked up at Seifer. "Her middle name please."

Seifer looked at Quistis and then back at Emma… who was now sitting up, looking out the window.

"Seifer… her name?"

"E…T-Tera Lynn Rhich…" Emma looked at Seifer, and then back at the window and sighed heavily. She rested her head back on Seifer's soft cotton pillow and closed her eyes, droning out the sound of Quistis' voice.

"Okay… well…Seifer, you and I will need to go over the rules and regulations regarding this event and you can discuss it with Tera…"

_Emma looked out of the window of the luxurious suite in the President's Palace, noticing the few 'puppets' as Seifer called them, walking about on the pavements and sidewalks of Galbadia. She blinked a few times and looked back at the mirror in front of her, her reflection, soporific and seductive. _

_She looked down at her dress…the dress Seifer had given her as a gift… a rare delicacy it was to be able to wear Centran silk… for the fabric was nearly rare and impossible to find and much too expensive to buy. The carmine silk clung to her skin like cellophane, revealing every single curve to her long slender body, making her cleavage revealing, giving her a classy and sexy look. From the waist down flared out into a beautiful skirt. She looked radiant. She stood up and walked to her large oversized bed and sat down, reaching for her black velvet boots, slipping them on, and zipping them up with care. She then stood up and walked back to her dresser and sat down, staring at her reflection in vain. Feeling the self worthlessness coming back to her…_

_She was interrupted from her train of thought when she felt someone nibble on her neck. _

"_Mmm… Seifer…" Emma reached up and ran her hands through his soft, damp hair. She felt Seifer's hands run down her arms and entangled his fingers into hers. He brought them back down to her stomach, giving him more room to play with her neck. _

"_Mmm… You taste good…" He kissed her upper back, which always made her shiver with erotic delight. _

"_Seifer! Stop!" She giggled, spinning around and wrapping her arms around his neck. "You're so terrible to me!"_

"_Yes, I'm the absolute worst." Seifer chuckled and stood up straight, his towel falling to his hips._

_Emma watched him through the mirror as he walked to his closet and grabbed a pair of clothes._

_She picked up a lipstick tube and opened it, approving of the innocent pink tone to it.. "How much time do we have for the parade?" Emma asked out of the blue, applying the lipstick on her pale lips. Seifer poked his head through the doorframe. _

"_What?"_

"_I asked you how much time do we have left until the parade…" Emma said, turning around to face him. _

_Seifer looked at his watch, slipping on his pants and walking out of the bathroom and onto the bed. "Not a lot… about 15 minutes…" He put on his steel-toed boots and walked back to his chiffonnier and pulled out his trademark vest and his trench coat. "I'm going to be late."_

_Emma put down the lipstick and turned around in the chair. "It still feels wro--"_

"_Your father and brother are downstairs with Edea, the other teams are guarding the palace for SeeD intrusion…you'll be fine…" He reached for her hands and stood her up on her feet. He whistled in veneration and ran his hands down the sides of the crepe de chine. "And besides," Seifer traced her jawbone with his index finger. "Whether you like it or not," He kissed her forehead. "I will always put you first before anything else…" _

"_Honestly…?" Emma looked up at him with adoring eyes. _

"_Yes…" He began to walk away from her and to the gold plated doors. "That's why I think it's safer for you to stay and watch the parade from here." _

"_Fujin, Raijin…. Find her." Seifer said, firmly. He was dressing the wounds he gained from the battle with Squall. _

"_But Seifer… its not easy finding one girl in Deling ya' know?"_

_Seifer had kept calm, up until the moment Raijin had to open his mouth. He jumped up, kicking the table with the medicine for his wounds across the wall. "JUST FUCKING LOOK FOR HER!"_

"_RAIJIN! GO!" Fujin bowed and grabbed Raijin, swiftly leaving. _

_Seifer awoke to the sound of water running and someone muttering from the bathroom. He opened his eyes and reached for his gun. _

"_Who's there?" Seifer cocked the gun stood up. _

"_S-so…m-maaad…he's g-go-gooin-g to k-kiilll m-me…" _

"_Emma?" Seifer was beginning to feel fear. _

"_Ss-saii---saiiferr…will k-kill… m-me.. w-hen… he finds…out…" He heard the voice _

"_Emma!" He turned on the bedside light and walked towards the bathroom, gun aimed at head level. _

"_Jj-j-jjust-t-t d-d-dd-iiiiii-e— just die…. I-it…hurts…"_

_Seifer noticed a pink tint to the pure white walls. All of the faucets were running. _

"_Emma, I'm coming in, real slowly…" He turned only to find himself taken back in surprise. _

_Blood. And a lot of it._

Emma opened her eyes and looked at Seifer's digital clock. "…2:58…" She sat up, her arm brushing the small of Seifer's stomach. He had laid next to her, over her nearly. His arm had surrounded her stomach. He whimpered slightly, his muscles tensing, then relaxing when Emma stopped moving. Emma lifted the sheets up and slowly stood up, checking around the room for anyone else around. She slipped on her clothes and grabbed her jacket, a copy of Seifer's key card and her cell phone, and as quiet as possible, she left the dorm room.

She walked down the hall, turning on her cell phone. It appeared that there was a message on the phone. She pressed one and put the phone up to her ear.

"_So this is how it turns out. You live, and all is well right?"_

The voice belonged to Cort

"_Not. Look. I know what you're thinking of doing. You can't just leave your family. Lux is worried about you. Whatever happened to you being the responsible one? Don't expect to live much longer. Sorry._"

Now what… which side could she pick? If she went back, she'd be killed. If she told Squall, she'd be killed. Unless—

"I need to talk to you" Emma looked up, seeing Squall in a pair of jeans and blue long sleeved shirt. She started following Squall up to the elevator.

"Come on…in here." He led her into his office. When she walked in he shut the door and locked it behind him. Selphie and Zell stood by the fireplace, waiting.

Emma backed away. "Squall, I've overstayed my visit. I need to go—" She felt him grip her arm lightly and pull her back, she gasped and looked up at him, her body trembling.

"We know who you are…" Squall looked down into her eyes.

"Oh." She felt like a rape victim. She was trembling. Her hands became sweaty and her body shook.

"Why are you here?" He asked.

"Get out of my way…" She rushed up and tried to push him off of the doors. He grabbed her wrists and spun her around, wrapping his arms around her. Selphie gasped and stepped forward. Emma used her free leg to kick the back of his knees. He yelped and fell to the ground, rolling on top of her. She screamed and clawed at his face. He reached down and pressed his fingers against her scrape

"NO! DON'T!" She yelled in pain.

"WHY ARE YOU HERE!" He asked again.

"I WANT OUT!" She cried. Squall froze for a moment. Zell pulled Squall off of her and she immediately backed into the corner, holding herself. She looked at them and sighed. "I just want to disappear. I'm tired. I hate myself for taking lives."

"How can you say that?" Selphie was offended. "You can't just escape. You deserve the suffering! You tried to kill me and my baby!"

"Selph—" Zell reached for his fiancé.

"No! This is not satisfactory! Not one bit!" She held her stomach tightly. "You're a killer. You don't feel, you monster… you just kill!"

"I feel and I kill. But I'm not a monster."

Zell lifted her up and slammed her into the wall. "You're right. Monsters don't run away. You're worse than a monster. You're nothing."

"_Emma!" Seifer ran into the bathroom and straight to the bathtub. She sat there, in her own blood. Quiet, and pale. Seifer looked around the room for a second, not yet registering anything into his mind. Her hand marks had smeared blood all over the walls and mirrors. She had turned on all of the faucets and knocked over the fresh roses that were put delicately by the sinks. He reached for her to pull her out of the bathtub, only to have her scream in his face. _

"_LEAVE ME ALONE!" She turned to jump out of the tub, but slipped and hit her head on the marble. Before she could furthermore damage herself he grabbed her by the ribs and pulled her out, he noticed the bruises and clotted blood that scattered all over her inner thighs. He lifted her up and sat her on the corner and patted water on her cheeks. Her eyes were dilated, she was crazed. He lifted her head with his hands and he stroke her hair, gently trying to comfort her._

"_Emma? Can you hear me? Oh… Come on baby…focus" Emma moaned weakly. "Emma? Please…oh god…" Seifer pulled out his phone for 911._

"_I –I –I –I- l-loss-t t-it…" She whispered._

"You're right." Emma looked down, her hair falling into her face. She began to sob. Zell rolled his eyes and let her go, walking back to Selphie and holding her into his arms.

"Heartless." Selphie shook her head.

"Stop crying." Squall said. "It makes you look unprofessional." Emma felt her sadness turn to anger. She sobbed louder and fell to the floor, crunched up in a fetal position. She finally stopped crying, breathing heavily, panting. Her anger becoming rage.

"Oh, Selphie. You have no idea."

"No, I have an idea. The thought of losing my baby makes me sick." She said, disgusted and annoyed with Emma.

"Try living with the reality, Tilmitt." Emma looked up, tears still falling. She sniffed and stood up. "It's so much worse than just imagining it. My…baby," Emma gritted her teeth. "Was surgically removed four years ago."

"An abortion." Zell scoffed.

"A murder." Emma looked at him, speaking coldly.

"Who's?" Squall asked.

"Seifer's."

_Emma slept in the hospital bed, recovering from the surgery. Seifer stood in the doorway, watching her sleep. The doctor walked behind him and tapped his back, ushering him to his office. Seifer sat down and watched the doctor as he pulled out a pipe of tobacco. _

"_She's going to be fine." He finally said, lighting the pipe._

"_And the baby?" Seifer asked. _

"_The remains of the baby were removed. Whoever did this knew what he was doing."_

_Seifer winced. "How do you figure?"_

"_There's no damage to her organs. She'll still be fertile. When I was performing the surgery, there was no damage at all."_

"_He pulled a 6 month old baby from out of her body." Seifer looked at the doctor doubtfully._

"_This was done by a surgeon, Mr. Almasy. It wasn't an unprofessional. You have to understand this."_

"_This was going to be my first child. A son…my son…" He looked down and then stood up, walking back into Emma's room. He walked up to her bed, his face red, his throat choked. He put a hand on Emma's forehead. Cold. Her temperature was under, but was warmer than earlier. _

"_Seifer?" Lux and Morus walked into the room. Seifer turned and looked at them. Lux ran to Seifer and wrapped his arms around him. Seifer hugged him back, comforting him._

"_It's ok, kiddo. Don't worry. She's going to be fine." _

"_Can I lay with her for a little bit?" Lux asked. He was only nine, and Emma was the only female in his life who really raised him. Seifer nodded and helped Lux carefully lay next to Emma. He wrapped his arms around her ribcage and closed his eyes. _

"_She be fine." Morus said, putting a hand on Seifer's shoulder. _

"_Step out here with me Morus." He motioned for the door, but turned around to Lux. "Lux, don't wake her up ok? And don't touch her very much." Lux nodded, and closed his eyes again. He walked out and closed the door. _

"_Something on mind?" Morus asked quietly. Seifer leaned in closer to him. _

"_Find out who did this." He said quickly._

"_Revenge?" Morus smirked and nodded with Seifer._

"_Listen, if this motherfucker can take my first son…" Seifer swallowed and looked down. "then I can take what is most dear to them." _

_Morus laughed and patted Seifer. "You really are your father's son. He'd do anything to protect your mother…" He looked through the window at Emma and smiled. "I will find this bastard. You will get your revenge, I promise you that."_

"_I know you'll see to it."_

"When Seifer found out, he took time off with me and we planned for a baby. He got angry with me one night, and I left, but didn't come back for a few days. It was because I was kidnapped." Emma shivered. "They drugged me to where I could feel the pain, but be paralyzed to move. I was tortured. They stabbed the baby with something sharp…a needle, a wire. Something. I don't know." Selphie put her hands to her mouth. "I eventually passed out from the pain and fear, but when I came to, I was sitting up in our bed, blood all over me." Selphie had tears in her eyes. "I miscarried at 8 months." Emma sighed, not noticing the pale faces in front of her.

"…Wow." Squall frowned.

"Then, four years later, I had a call from my father telling me that a higher power requested a hit on Selphie Tilmitt and Ritchie Deling. I went to Trabia, settled on the cafeteria roof, and waited." She brushed the hair out of her face. "When I saw you…" Emma shook her head and leaned up against the wall. "I couldn't do it. I called you and told you to escape. You wouldn't so I shot at the wall to get you to leave."

"Oh god!" Selphie gasped. "I'm so sorry!"

"I wouldn't be able to live if I killed an innocent life."

"But what about those who already had children?" Zell asked.

"That was before I was pregnant." Emma said quietly.

"Tch." Zell shook his head.

"Who was it?" Squall asked.

_Morus walked into the bedroom quietly, trying not to wake Seifer or Emma. He glanced at the bed. He saw Emma laying in the fetal position she had acquired since the incident a few weeks back. Seifer was asleep behind her, his arm draped around her side. Morus decided not to wake them and turned to leave._

"_I'm awake." Seifer said in a moderate tone._

"_She wont wake?" Morus asked, quietly._

"_No. I gave her valium. She's out. Is everything ok?"_

"_Step out here with me, Seifer. I don't feel comfortable talking to you with her in condition she is in." Seifer nodded and began to slip out of bed. The two men walked out in the hallway, Seifer wearing close to nothing at all._

"_I have names." Morus handed Seifer an envelope. _

"Yeah?" Seifer muttered into the phone as he stretched his long body out, realizing that Emma wasn't in the bed with him.

"_Come to my dorm. Now._" Squall said quietly.

"Oh?" Seifer yawned. "Are the late night porn shows getting to you?" He threw his body back down on the bed.

"_Seifer; I'm sitting here with Emma._"

_The lights of the Deling Police cars blinded Seifer's eyes as he was running. He couldn't see where the rest of the group had run. They scattered. Fat raindrops pelted Seifer's face and body. He couldn't stop running. He felt numb, alive. His black leather trench coat fluttered like wings as he was near his escape. He could feel the bullets passing him, hitting houses, cars, and the street. _

"_We can try again… we can always try again."_

Seifer silently knocked on the door, wrapping his arms around his long sleeved arms, knowing he should've brought his hoodie. He grimaced at the shattered skylight above him cursing under his breath because of the new students who were curious about thunder spells. He heard the door unlock, Seifer opened the door and slipped in. He quietly shut the door.

"I don't know what to say." Squall said and took a sip of his beer. He was sitting at a miniature bar in the corner of the room, motioning Seifer to sit by him. "This is…yeah." Squall handed Seifer a beer.

"I don't know what to say either…" Seifer said, popping the cap off and taking a swig. "Where is she now?"

"In my room, resting." Squall glanced at the door that led to his room. "She's probably asleep by now…it was nearly impossible to get her to calm down as soon as we got in the dorm."

"Sounds like her…" Seifer said, chuckling.

"Yeah, well…" Squall took a swig. "I know about the baby."

Seifer looked at Squall. "Yeah." He whispered and looked at the floor. "Well…that's life. It happens."

"I'm sorry." Squall said after a while.

"I don't need an apology. It's not a problem." Seifer downed the rest of his beer. "I've got to get her out of here. The Mortali's are hunting for her."

"She's staying here."

"What? Why?" Seifer stood up.  
"Don't ask questions Almasy." Squall set his bottle down. "Just shut up and take her back to your room."

Seifer shook his head and silently walked in Squall's room. It was the first time he'd actually been in his room before, never really having any need to do so. The only thing he could really see in the light was the bed. He Seifer walked towards it, noticing Emma sleeping with her face towards the wall. He sat on the bed, reaching both hands out to roll her over and have her face him. When he did so, Emma's eyes opened.

"Seifer." Emma sat up, leaning against the headboard. "I can explain everything…I blew my cover again-- I am so sorry -- I really screwed up -- You--"  
Seifer put a hand to her mouth. "Hush now. Don't cry…don't apologize." He brushed away the fresh tears that were falling down her cheeks. "Hey…" Seifer brought her head to his. "I care about you…you know that right?"

Care. It was never love. Emma knew she'd never hear it come from his lips…he was too afraid of the word and it always caused an argument between the two. "Yes…I know." She said.

"That's good…" He kissed her forehead and stood up. The two walked out of the room, hand in hand. Squall opened the door for them and watched as they both stepped out.

"We'll discuss more of this tomorrow." He said. Emma turned around and looked at Squall for a moment. She rushed up to him and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you."

Emma sat on the bed and watched as Seifer removed his long sleeved shirt. Emma smiled as she saw his newly toned stomach clinging on his tank top.

"What?" Seifer asked, in a coy voice, knowing he was being watched. He lifted the bottom of the shirt and scratched his stomach and looked in the mirror, fingering the scars across around his bellybutton. The way he stood made him look like a model. His back straight, his shoulders out, and his hips forward. He almost looked relaxed.

Emma stood up and sashayed over to Seifer, undoing a few buttons from her shirt. She touched her fingertips to his back. He straightened up and turned around, catching an eyeful of ample cleavage. Of course, her pushing her chest out a little helped with his view.

"Seifer…" Emma closed her eyes slowly, making her look dreamy. She smirked at him, taking his hand and resting it on her neck. "Undress me." She said simply.

Seifer paused before speaking. "What?" He froze, unable to think.

"Undress me." She said slowly, seductively. Putting his hand lower. He looked at her and smiled. He slowly moved his hand down to her shirt, pulling the buttons out of the slots, revealing the curve of her breasts. He brushed the back of his fingertips across the soft inner part of her breast. She grabbed his hand and began kissing his fingertips, leading him to the bed, moving her hips around to the music that played in the background. Seifer stopped for a moment. Emma smiled and unbuttoned her pants, sliding them down to her lower hips to reveal her black panties. Seifer smirked and walked towards her. He pulled her close and reached for her hands.

"Lie down." He whispered into her ear. Emma felt the goose bumps rise as his breath crept across her neck.

'Three Libra's' played through Seifer's cd player when he removed Emma's clothes. He blew a trail of air down her leg as he slid the blue jeans lower past her knees. He pulled them past her calves, her ankles, until they were finally off. He wedged between her legs and lowered his head down to her stomach, lightly touching her stomach and chest with his lips. He could feel Emma weaken underneath him, but he knew, as always, that she was enjoying every minute of it. When he reached her neck he widened his mouth and blew hot air against her neck, causing her to shiver.

"Seifer…" Emma smiled reached out to touch his face. He reached up and entangled his fingers with hers. He stared at her for a moment, smiling. Seifer leaned down and became eye to eye with her, their lips inches away.

"Before we continue, I have to kiss you." He whispered. "It's one thing I've been wanting to do since I last saw you at the hospital."

Emma smiled and slightly moved her head up to his lips. He pulled her head to her and hastily pressed his lips against Emma's, his tongue flicking her own, his hands running down her gorgeous body, her hips slowly moving against his. Their skin tingled, they felt erotic, sensual. When he pulled back, he felt inexperienced. He blushed heavily and looked down, cursing at himself.

"Are you ok?" Emma ran her fingers through his hair, concerned.

Seifer laughed uneasily. "It's just that I haven't kissed you in so long…I'm letting myself get carried away." He rubbed her face and closed his eyes, kissing her neck. Emma started to giggle. She kissed the side of his head and pulled him back closer to her.

"I forgot what it was like as well." She ran her hands up his bare arms. "Should we stop?" She looked into his eyes for her answer.

"No." He blushed. "I'll get over it." He chuckled and kissed her lips again.

Emma continued to run her fingers through his hair. "Don't be embarrassed, I'm nervous too." Emma reached her hands down to his hips and gripped onto his belt, moving him closer against him. He let out a groan when his pelvis collided into hers. Emma gasped and laughed out loud. Seifer smiled and started laughing with her.

"We should maybe stop— I'm sorry." He began to move away from her when she grabbed him again, this time running her hand against his groin. He groaned again, holding his breath almost. He looked at Emma, feeling his neck becoming damp. "You're asking for it." He threatened playfully.

"And if I am…?" Emma's voice went from innocent, to erotic. "What would you do with that thing then, Seifer Almasy? If that was what I was asking for?"

"I wouldn't let you have it when you wanted it." He said, lying down next to her, pushing an arm underneath her.

"Well, I'm asking for it." She giggled. Seifer laughed and shook his head.

"Miss Mortali…" He tickled her stomach with his fingertips. Emma sucked in air and held it. He kissed her ear, biting down on her earlobe, his tongue flicking her earrings. His hand moved lower. "You can have it when I say you can."

"And when will you…s-"

"When I can tell you're ready." He whispered, running his hand down to her panties. He slid his fingers underneath them, feeling Emma's breath quicken. He quickly brushed his fingers against her, making Emma gasp and moan loudly. The sudden moan caused the two of them to laugh. He continued to tease her, creating for her an aura of erotic bliss. Her breathing had gone from docile, to sharp and quick. She lifted herself up with her head and moaned loudly, close to reaching orgasm. Seifer stopped immediately when he knew he had gone too far. He smiled and kissed her perspiring forehead.

"Seifer please." She moaned.

"Heheh…yes ma'am." He sat up, undoing his belt and pants. He slid them off, along with his boxers.

Seifer kissed her neck and hoisted her legs up in his arms. He let out a quiet moan as he slid inside of Emma for the first time. Emma gasped, trying to relax. He pulled out and pushed into her again, and again, and again. Sweat began to perspire on his face and body. He held Emma closely as he pushed back inside her again, their faces pressed up against each other's.

Emma arched her back each time. Feeling him inside of her completely. Feeling sensational. His pace was moderate, but she could feel he wanted to go faster. She kissed him over and over again. Feeling the pain and pleasure mixing together. She dug her nails into his back, which caused him to slightly speed up, making harder thrusts. She moaned louder, which made Seifer push in harder. He began to moan louder with each thrust. Sweat dripped from the tip of his nose and onto Emma's neck. Suddenly he stopped.

"Seifer?" Emma gasped.

"I'm really close." He panted out. Emma sighed and looked at him. She kissed him and looked into his eyes.

"Don't stop." She whispered. So he continued on, and with each thrust, he went faster, causing Emma to moan louder. His arms tightened around Emma's body, holding her in a tight hug, almost. Each thrust caused him to tighten his grip, each thrust caused him to moan louder with Emma. Eventually they had both synchronized the moans until they both reached climax. He buried his face into her neck as he penetrated her as hard as he could. She felt his saliva on her neck, as he grit his teeth, trying to not lose control. He

The two of them looked at each other, trembling, exhausted.

"Oh my god." Seifer smiled and wiped away the sweat on Emma's cheeks.

Emma looked at Seifer and sighed. He kissed Emma before laying the two of them down. Seifer lay on his side, in front of Emma, like the way they used to.

"Am I safe?" Emma wrapped her leg around his hip, as he rested his head on her arm.

"As safe as you can be." Seifer rubbed her neck. "Don't worry. You're going to be fine." Seifer's eyes closed.

"How can you tell?"

"I wouldn't have been able to come and bring you back here if you weren't safe. They trust me to take care of you, meaning they trust me more than they would with anyone else in the Garden. They know I'm not going to try to help or make you escape. So don't worry," He took her hand in his and kissed her again. "You've been saved."

"My knight in shining armor."

"Or lack of armor." Seifer whispered.

Emma kissed his ear, whispering. "You know, according to ancient Centran custom, you're responsible for me forever… because you saved my life."

Seifer looked at her and smiled, kissing her forehead. "I think I've forced myself to be obligated to you."

"How is that?" Emma looked up at him with tired eyes. He looked back down at her and inhaled.

"You'll find out one day." He closed his eyes, exhaling what air he had left in him.

"Tell me now."

"No."

"Why?"

"Sleep, mon beau l'un." Emma could tell he was tired. When he got tired, his voice deepened and slurred, and he'd eventually pass out. "Just…sleep. Mon beau…" He started lazily running his fingers in her hair, dozing off.

"Je ne veux pas dormir." Emma whispered. Seifer chuckled, low voice made a humming noise, which gave Emma a shiver.


	8. 10:46 AM

**Chapter Eight: 10:46 a.m.

* * *

**

A shade of blue veiled Seifer's room early dawn. The window was opened, fumigating the room with the scent of rain and morning. When the wind picked up slightly, a chill sent shivers up Seifer's spine, causing him to stir in his sleep. Emma opened her eyes and smiled seeing his face mashed up against the pillow. His arm hung over the side of the bed, and his left leg surrounded Emma's waist. His left hand held her hand, gently squeezing it slightly every now and then. Emma pulled him closer to her, causing him to open his eyes. He shut them immediately, not able to adjust immediately to the bright blue tinted room.

"What time is it?" He muffled through the pillow.

"Almost eight thirty." Emma said, brushing hair out of her face.

"When did we go to bed?" He asked again, rubbing his eyes.

"Late." Emma replied.

Seifer grinned and leaned up against Emma, playing with her fingers and brushing them up against his face.

Moments later, a knock came on the door. Seifer groaned and smiled. "I'll be right back." He kissed Emma's lips and stood up, still naked from the night before. Another knock came from the door again. "What?" He called.

"Seifer? Open the door!"

"You don't want me to do that. Trust me."

"Just open the damn door, asshole!" Seifer could hear Zell laughing for a moment, then kicking on his door.

"Zell, jesus!" Seifer flung a towel over his waist and stomped to the door. He flung it open, creating a breeze between Zell and Seifer.

"Woah! Sorry!" Selphie turned around, giggling. Zell pushed his way into Seifer's dorm, Selphie being dragged behind him. Seifer closed the door and leaned up against the door.

"We were told to take you guys out to breakfast." Zell said, opening a cabinet beside him. The two sat at the small café table in Seifer's cramped kitchen.

"Ok." Seifer shrugged and walked into his room.

Emma wrapped the bed sheet around her and reached for some clothes. Seifer threw on a black t-shirt and jeans and walked back out with his shoes and socks.

"Any reason why?" Seifer began slipping on his socks.

"No…really, we want doughnuts, and it's early enough for a fresh batch, but we wanted you guys to come along. Squall and Quistis said they'd meet us up in Dollet later on."

Emma walked out, wearing jeans and a black-sleeved crème colored shirt. She was brushing her hair but stopped to see everyone staring at her. "What happened?"

"Zell's hungry." Seifer said.

Seifer and Zell strolled around Dollet for a while. They had finished their coffee faster than Emma and Selphie, so they left them alone to talk. They passed the Junk Shop and were in the housing districts. It was a cloudy morning, probably meant more rain, Seifer figured. However, people still thrived in the streets. As they were walking, Seifer stopped and looked up at the apartments. He pointed at the middle of one. "Fu and Rai live there…" They continued walking.

"I'm sorry they abandoned you like that, man." Zell said, smoking his cigarette. He looked up and scoffed.

"It happens." Seifer sighed and lit another cigarette up. Zell was quiet for a moment, waiting for Seifer to say something, but he didn't. They walked up by the fountain and stood there for a while. Zell looked into the window of the café and watched Selphie and Emma talking. Every now and then, Selphie would say something to Emma that would make her giggle. This made Zell smile.

"You're different when she's around." Zell said, taking another drag.

"I know. It's killing my bad-boy rep, huh?" Seifer smiled, looking at Zell, who laughed."

"This place brings back memories." Zell muttered, looking around.

"Yep…I'm surprised it's grown so much."

"Do you believe in love?"

"…I dunno."

"Do you love her?" Seifer stopped watching cars and looked over at the window and then back at Zell…again at the café, watching Emma smiling and drinking her coffee. He looked at Zell once more and shook his head. He looked down.

Love. Did Seifer love Emma? Did he ever really wonder about that? Of course he had. But what was the answer? Yes or no?

"…"

"Right." Zell tossed his cigarette butt. "Do you ever say it to her?"

"…No." Seifer sighed.

"Have you ever met Edea Kramer?" Selphie asked Emma, sitting in a Dollet café. Seifer and Zell were looking at the new car down the block.

"Of course." Emma sipped on her coffee, feeling more awake than how she was an hour before.

"She was the one who told me I was pregnant. She said it was going to be a girl." Selphie spun her cookie around on her plate.

"She told me I'd have a son. He would look like Seifer, but with dark hair. He would look like me, but with bright green eyes."

"Did you have a name?" Selphie asked.

"Yeah—" Emma watched Zell walk in and kiss Selphie. He looked over at Emma and smiled.

"Seifer's outside. He wants to talk to you." He said and sat next to Selphie.

"Is he ok?" Emma asked, standing up.

"Go find out." Zell said coolly, kissing Selphie again.

Emma smiled and walked outside towards Seifer, who leaned up against the same statue he had leaned on nearly five years ago. He saw Emma and stretched his arms out to her. She smiled and reached for him. When she grabbed his hands he pulled her towards him, kissing her deeply. He started to hear rain. When they parted he looked down on her, watching the small beads of rain fall on her delicate face.

Gunshots were heard at the café. Right after that, glass breaking, and right after that, the screams. Emma looked up at Seifer, mouthing Selphie's name.

"SOMEONE'S BEEN SHOT! QUICK GET HELP!" They heard someone scream. Emma and Seifer ran towards the café. Already a crowd of people was there.

"OH GOD! SELPHIE!" Zell screamed. "SOMEBODY GET HELP NOW!"

Seifer shoved everyone out of the way, pushing violently. He found Zell in the middle of the crowd, covered in glass and blood. He found Selphie, staring at him lifelessly. Zell leaned over Selphie screaming. Seifer started feeling ill. He turned to try to find Emma, but was lost in the crowd.

"Seifer!" Emma was lost in the crowd of people. She kept filing through every blonde wearing a black shirt, but they were never Seifer. "SEIFER!"

She felt something sticking into the back of her neck. It was hot. It was the barrel of the gun that shot Selphie.

"You told them everything, didn't you?"

"Oh no." Emma gasped, putting her hands up. During the panic, it seemed no one was watching them.

"Oh Emma…" He took her and drug her out of the crowd and over in an alley. He threw her against the wall. The man took off his mask. It was Cort. "You fucking disappoint me." He hit her with the butt of his gun. She screamed and fell to the ground. Morus appeared out of the alley, he revealed his gun and aimed it at Emma.

"Morus… please…" Emma sobbed.

Morus looked away.

"Who knows…"

Seifer ran towards Emma, reaching for her, only to be pushed back by Fik and Mik. They pulled their guns on Seifer, pressing them into his neck.

"Let her go… LET HER GO!"

"…Maybe you're better off this way."

Seifer reached out for Emma but was stopped by a blow to the head from behind. It was Emma's father.   
"Continue Cort. Make it fast." Evers said, sighing. He pushed the gun against Seifer's temple. Blood ran down the side of his face.

"Cort please! No…please…" Emma begged.

Cort aimed his gun at Emma, aiming for her chest.

"You can't just abandon your family for love, stupid girl."

He shot her three times. Seifer froze in motion, watching the bullets fly through Emma's chest and collide into the brick wall. He watched her slam into the back of the wall. It had sounded like glass raking through her lungs as she gasped for air.

He watched the four men take off running, as Emma slid down the back of the wall, leaving a trail of blood.

"Emma…" Seifer looked into her eyes. The once dark blue eyes Seifer would get lost in were rapidly losing their light. He heard footsteps behind him. It was Quistis and Rinoa. He knew they were screaming, but the noises didn't register. He could only hear Emma's ragged breathing and her heart slowly beating. Everything to Seifer sounded muted, garbled.

"S…Seifer…" Emma choked out, blood spilling out of the side of her mouth. Her eyes looked completely alien. Dim, lifeless.

"I…want….ou…to know…" Emma's voice was halting.

"Shh…baby shh…" Seifer softly spoke, his eyes welled up with tears.

"I…Sei…I…" The only thing Seifer could do was hold her. "I… don.. want to…"

"_Emma, don't say it." _Seifer smiled sadly and kissed her forehead. She started gasping for air. "I know, Emma. Don't be afraid. I'm right here. I won't leave you, I promise."

"_Don't go…please."_

Time stopped at 10:46 a.m.


	9. That Sick Feeling

**Chapter Nine: That Sick Feeling

* * *

**

Seifer and Zell sat Squall's car, side by side, in silence. Squall stood outside with a few of the officers, discussing what had happened. Seifer's hands and arms were caked in blood, as were Zell's. Seifer's blow to the head caused bleeding, however it was starting to dry. Seifer hadn't even bothered with cleaning up.

"Seifer…?"

"Zell…?"

"Is this what that sick feeling of abandonment is like?" Zell stared at the stitching on the drivers seat. His voice cracked when he spoke, his nose was runny so he'd sniff every so often.

"…No." Seifer's face was blank. He stared at the seatbelt adjuster. "No, this is worse, Zell."

After spending over an hour staring at nothing but the seatbelt adjuster, not swallowing, not moving, not blinking, he had an epiphany.

"Zell…?"

"Seifer…?"

"Where do they keep the Guardian Forces?"

"Lunatic… Pandora Laboratories…"

"In Esthar...?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

Zell tried not to start sobbing. "Y…es…" He put his hand up to his face, feeling sick. "But… only members of the high council are able to access the main room where they hold them." Zell blinked for a moment. He looked as Seifer as Seifer looked at Zell.

"Squall." They both said aloud. The two got out of the car and shut the doors. Squall turned around and sighed.

"Get back in the car guys." He commanded.

"Where's Quistis?" Seifer asked.

"Standing in the alley." He said.

"Thanks…" Zell and Seifer started walking towards the alley. They found Quistis crying hysterically. Seifer leaned towards Zell. "He's not going to go unless if we—"

"I'll do it." Zell said, brushing back his hair with his fingers and walking forward. "Make sure no one comes around." Seifer nodded. He turned his back to the dark alleyway, watching the officers walk by. He finally heard the bones snap and Zell called to him. They both carried Quistis, talking to her lifeless corpse as if she was too weak to walk. Squall saw them get into the back of his car. They put their seatbelts, Quistis' body next to Zell. Seifer sat in the front. He looked in the glove compartment and found a gun. He pulled it out, concealing it in his shirt.

"Fix her hair and close her eyes." Seifer ordered to Zell. Her hair had gotten into her face. "It makes her look too obvious."

"What if we can't revive them?"

"It'll work. Why do you think I'm still here? Every time I tried killing myself, Raijin would find me and call Phoenix to revive me. It's an interesting process. He'd summon phoenix and he'd revive me even after a week of me being dead."

"Why a week later?" Zell asked.

"I locked myself up in my room, and told him that I was in Timber with Rinoa." He smirked. "See… as long as they don't decompose, they can be revived. But I had drowned myself, so I was preserved…in a sense."

Squall opened the door and got in the car. Zell leaned Quistis over him, putting his arm around her, patting her.

"Quistis?"

"She's going to sit back here. She said she needed to rest." Squall shrugged and started the car. When they drove a ways out from Dollet, Seifer ordered Squall to pull over.

"Get in the backseat." He ordered to Squall, pushing the gun up to his throat.

"What are you doing Seifer?" Squall put his hands up.

"We're going to Esthar. We lost lives today. Three of them. Because of the fucking council, which you support." Zell's tone was dark and cold.

"So get in the backseat with Zell. I'm driving." Seifer spoke dryly. Squall obeyed and got out. He got in the back seat and sat next to Zell and Quistis.

"Quistis?" Squall looked closer at her and realized she was dead. His breathing began to shake. Seifer locked the door before Squall could open it.

"What? Wh-why!" Squall held onto her body tightly, gasping and kissing her head.

"Collateral." Seifer put the car in drive.

"But why Quistis…" His voice grew faint.

"Leonhart, is this a yes?" Seifer asked.

"Whatever…" Squall held onto Quistis tightly.

Gathering the corpses in Timber was the easy part. Seifer and Squall walked in and walked right out with them. Before they were to put them in the trunk, they checked to make sure they were the right bodies. Squall unzipped Selphie's, immediately turning to vomit. To look down at a dead body like he did was unbearable.

Seifer zipped Selphie's bag up and unzipped Emma's. He looked at her face, it had looked so peaceful. He brought his fingers to his lips and kissed them.

"I'll be able to hold you again, very soon." He placed his fingers on her cold dark lips. Squall recovered, looking at Seifer like he was insane.

"You kissed a dead body?" He asked, holding his stomach.

"You puked on the side of a hearse?" Seifer zipped the bag up and lifted Emma's corpse into the trunk. He then grabbed Selphie's and lay her inside as well he walked back up to the car and grabbed Quistis' body and lay her against Selphie's bag."

"This is the point of no return." Zell said, walking towards the trunk. His voice had become so blank. Like he was hypnotized. Seifer closed it.

"How many hours is it to Esthar from here?"

"About a three day's drive at the most if we take my car. If we drive the speed limit it's about a four day long drive on the highway nonstop…" Squall said quietly.

"That's not enough time…"

"They can be revived. The downside is that it'll take longer for them to restore completely."

"So they should be fine." Zell muttered.

"Yes."

"Great. I'll drive." Seifer said with a fake sense of glee and a smile and got into the car. They drove for hours, taking turns every eight. Seifer stopped at Fisherman's Horizon and grabbed ice bags and plastic and stuck them in the trunk. They unloaded the bodies at the side of the road and filled the back with a large sheet of plastic. They put the bodies inside, all aligned but bent and covered them with ice. They folded the remaining plastic with the rest of it. Preservation was the main key to keeping them in the first stage of deterioration, Seifer would say. They continued to drive.

"My sister is dead!" Lux sat down on Emma's former bed. Morus' face was blank.

"It was your fathers orders." He looked out the window.

"But…WHY!"

"Why do you think we're relocating?" Evers walked in, carrying cases of weapons.

Seifer was first to walk in. He was alone with Squall following behind. There was only one man guarding the tanks to the Guardian Forces that night.

"Sir, I need to see some authorization for you to be back here." He said. He was a smallish man. Looking about thirty. Seifer pulled out the gun and aimed it at the man. Squall pulled out his pass and set it on the counter.

"My name is Squall Leonhart. We've had an accident and need authorization to use the Guardian Force, Phoenix… immediately."

The man looked at them as if they were insane.

"We have three dead bodies outside. We need to revive them—now." Seifer said, keeping his aim on the man.

"You can't." The man shook. "I'm calling Esthar—" Seifer lifted his arm towards the man, who stopped reaching for the phone.

"Sleep." Seifer cast Sleep on the man and watched as he fell back in his chair. Squall jumped back in surprise. Seifer looked over at him and rolled his eyes.

"You've had magic this whole time?"

"Let's not waste time." He turned, stopping as Squall remained still.

"I found a draw point when we were walking here. I could only draw one. It's better that then killing an innocent man doing his job." He walked out the door.

Zell was hunched over the side of the road vomiting when they approached the car. The trunk was open, and the smell was obviously stagnant.

"Those…bodies… fucking…the smell!" He gagged. Seifer walked over and patted his back, making his way to the trunk. Zell weakly stood up. "I couldn't do it!"

"I'll handle it." He said. He reopened the trunk, looking down at the wet bodies. The ice had melted mostly. It was freezing outside in Esthar. But Zell was right. The smell was nearly unbearable. Seifer lifted Quistis and dropped her on the ground.

"Fucker, be careful!" Squall ran towards Quistis' body onto the asphalt.

"They're corpses." Seifer said dryly, lifting Emma's body out of the bag and dropping her just as carelessly. "Zell, come here." He said. Zell slowly walked up towards him, avoiding Emma's body. "Breathe through your mouth." Seifer said to Zell and lifted Selphie out of the bag, placing her in his arms. Zell gagged but still was able to keep his composure. "Squall, help me get this out of your trunk." Seifer lifted the corners of the plastic along with Squall and lifted the enormous bag of water and hurried over to the road. They released half of the bag and watched as the icy brown water spilled out into the streets.

"This is disgusting." Squall coughed.

"The bodies are in better shape than I expected because of this method."

"But still…"

"Lets go." Seifer and Squall walked back to Squall's car. Squall checked the trunk, realizing that the bottom of it was dry. He looked up and saw that he was standing outside alone. He picked up Quistis and ran into the Laboratory.

Zell and Seifer stood with the bodies in their arms, looking at the holding tanks for the Guardian Forces. Seifer walked down the stairs, searching for Phoenix.

"He's going to be by Carbuncle." Squall said, catching up with them.

"This place is huge…" Zell mused. He stopped in front of Ifrit's tank and put a hand up to it. Ifrit lowered his head towards Zell and growled lowly.

Squall stood between Quezacotl and Shiva's tank, quietly whispering his apologies for the cruelty the Guardian Forces had to suffer through. "Phoenix is going to be down in the back with the non-elemental G.F's." He said aloud.

Seifer held Emma's body up against his, his cheek against her cold forehead. He walked to the back and noticed the tank that read "PHOENIX".

"Hey!" Seifer stood in front of Phoenix's tank. He held Emma's cold, wet, body against his, trying to wish her to come back.

"These tanks are unbearably small…" Seifer shook his head. "Guardian Forces shouldn't be treated as pets."

He screeched and flapped his wings, only to have caused his feathers to fly about. They never touched the ground. They burst into flames before they were close. Phoenix used his claws to scratch at the thick glass.

"The code is ph03n1x."

Squall said. Zell walked back to punch in the numbers he stopped and turned around.

"Wait… Phoenix's password is Phoenix?" Squall nodded.

"Whatever…Seifer, go stand on that platform over there. We're going to junction Phoenix to you." Zell directed.

Seifer put Emma down on the ground and stood at the platform in the back of the room. It glowed a bright blue when he stepped on it.

"_Junction Upload Completed_." Came a voice from the ceiling. "_Beginning Junction to Host Now_." Seifer could feel the rush of heat as he watched Phoenix fly through the now missing glass-plated wall and fly into Seifer's chest. His body glowed a twinge of red, then quickly settled back to his normal color.

"Seifer! Summon Phoenix!" Zell cried to him. Seifer lifted his arm and closed his eyes. He could feel the tingling sensation when he began to summon. "I call on you Phoenix…" He whispered, pulling out a long red feather from his pocket. "With this Pinion, bring them back…" He felt the cold blue electricity come from his feet as Phoenix heard his plea. The outline of the firebird appeared before Seifer.

"Yes…it's working…" Squall murmured.

As Phoenix observed the bodies that were dead he took in a breath of air. He stretched out his wings, which hit the other sides of the tanks. He flapped his wings and soared up to the ceiling, breathing a red and blue smoke down on the three lifeless women. He let out a cry, and turned around, flying back into Seifer's body, knocking him down. He got up, scrambling towards the bodies. When the smoke had dissipated, it left Quistis, Emma, and Selphie's bodies with a purple glow.

"The skin…Seifer…look at their skin…" Zell's eyes were wide. The bodies' once white skin was now back to its full color, they could hear the bones in Quistis' neck mend.

When the glow had faded, the bodies still remained motionless. They waited. Seifer crouched over the bodies.

"Keep waiting."

They waited for an hour. Zell and Squall looked up at Seifer, who stared at the bodies.

"Keep waiting."

"But…how?" Seifer's heart sank. Zell walked past the bodies and pushed Seifer up against Bahamut's tank.

"YOU SAID THEY'D LIVE!" He screamed, punching Seifer in the jaw. "YOU LIED TO US!" He smashed Seifer's head into the tank. Bahamut turned and roared at Zell, his wings flapping fiercely. Zell winced as his ears popped from the piercing cry.

Squall rushed up and pulled Zell back. Squall looked at Seifer, who had spit blood out on the metal grid that was the floor.

"Keep waiting." Seifer spat out. Squall let go of Zell and walked towards the empty tank that had once held Phoenix. Zell grabbed onto Seifer's collar and head butt him. Seifer's nose began to trickle blood. He started remembering when he had last been hit like that.

_"Hi." Came a voice from behind Seifer's naked body. Seifer said nothing, only trying to finish his shower and make his way back into the cell he was assigned to._

_"You new? I sees you came in here today on the bus. They call me Rok, here." Seifer did not speak. He continued to rinse. "You've got a nice ass, boy." Seifer rinsed off and wrapped a towel around his waist tightly. He walked towards the exit of the showers, trying to go through the door, but Rok blocked him._

_Rok looked down at Seifer's groin. "You think you're a big boy?"_

_"Get the fuck out of my way." Rok forcefully pushed Seifer into a locker with a bang. When Rok approached the half naked blonde, he kneed Seifer in the crotch. _

_"Come on, you big boy. Let's see how good you feel." Rok punched Seifer in the stomach. Seifer put up his hands to block. Rok threw more punches, busting Seifer's lip. Finally, Seifer punched Rok in the face, knocking him into a staggering stance. Rok stood up, rushing back as Seifer did, pummeling each other._

_"Hey! Fight!" Seifer heard someone scream. The small crowd that had gathered screamed insanely as Seifer and Rok went at it in the circle of light. Seifer's head pounded and he was furious. The crowd of cellmates cheered wildly. Centrans speaking their tongue, Grandid's speaking theirs. The onlookers kneeled to stay with the fight, cheering ever louder, banging on the walls and floors with whatever they could find._

_"ALLRIGHT THAT'S ENOUGH!" They heard a guard scream._

_Rok and Seifer staggered out of the bathroom last. Both dripping blood and covered with bruises, Rok being in worse shape. _

_"You're all right with me, man." He shook Seifer's hand. _

_Seifer relaxed the hand and Rok dropped to the ground like a sack, enervated from the beating he took. _

_A few men pushed through the crowd. When Seifer saw them he turned and flipped the bloody washcloth over his shoulder and rested his hands on the concrete walls. His head down, exhausted and heavy._

_"What is your name?" One man asked. _

_"...Seifer." He said promptly._

_The two men looked at each other and smiled._

_"Cool."_

_Seifer walked out of the stalls, feeling safe. He passed a guard on his way to his block. _

_"Havin a good first day, prick?" He asked. Seifer turned to him and smiled. _

_"Yeah, actually... I am."_

Seifer coughed harshly and gagged when he sniffed the blood back up his nose. Zell grabbed him again. He stopped when he heard a heaving gasp.

Quistis was first to take a breath. She reached up towards the ceiling, gasping. "Sq…S-q…Squuuuaaaaalllll!" Squall turned, gasping. He rushed towards her, falling to his knees and picking her up in his arms.

"Oh! Quistis! It worked!" Squall cried, holding onto her tightly.

When Selphie moved slightly, Zell threw himself down on the ground and held her tightly. She opened her eyes, which had returned to the normal glowing green. She gasped, taking in a big gulp of the stale air that lingered in the room.

Seifer leaned down towards Emma, waiting. He lifted her torso into his arms, waiting for her to open her eyes.

"Come on…"

She remained still, her skin fading at times, but slowly soaking in the color. Seifer feared the worst, realizing that she wouldn't wake up.

"Come back to me…for me. Oh… mon beau l'un…my beautiful…" Seifer buried his face into her neck, holding back the sick feeling that came over him.

"Seifer?" Selphie's voice was quiet, tired.

"Just leave." She heard him snap at her, his voice cracking.

"Should we summon Phoenix aga—"

"GET OUT OF HERE!" He screamed, causing his voice to echo through the entire room. Guardian Forces made their own sound, reverberating the walls and cells. Everything shook. Everyone but Seifer was silent. He continued to scream with the Guardians, making almost a harmonizing pitch.

After a few brief moments, which had seemed to take an eternity to Seifer, Emma's eyes shot open; the color had filled her eyes once again. She screamed loudly, making a hitching gasp, coughing, clawing at the air in front of her. She sat up, immediately rolling over and hacking. Clots of blood came out in large portions. She gagged and continued coughing. When she finally cleared her throat, she took a full breath of air and looked at him with alarmed eyes.

"Where am I?" She said looking around. She noticed her body. Dried bloodstains had covered her wet front side. Her chest felt sore, sick. "W-what is that smell!" She gave him a sour look.

"Melted ice water with blood and what-have-you." He said, rubbing her back. Her hair was dried and crinkly.

Her nose wrinkled and she sighed, falling back on the metal grid.

"Who's idea was this?" Emma heard Selphie ask weakly. Emma didn't turn around, she kept her gaze on Seifer's eyes.

"Let's get out of here."

Seifer walked past the tanks with Emma slowly, suddenly stopping when felt Emma leave his arms. He spun around, looking at the tank next to Gilgamesh.

"Serpentipes." He said her name delicately. Emma had pressed herself against the glass, her head down. Zell walked towards the tank with Selphie.

"That's a G.F.?" Selphie asked.

"Yes." Emma whispered.

"The stolen G.F." Zell muttered.

"Serpentipes…I'm so sorry."

"It looks…" Quistis whispered

"Just like her." Squall finished.

Serpentipes had the form of a human body, like Shiva or Siren. However she had long flowing black hair, which fell behind her back. Her skin mixed green and pale flesh.

"Poison?" Selphie said aloud.

"Yes… a status effect. Incurable poison." Emma said. She watched as the snakes that clung to Serpentipes strike and hiss at the group behind her. She sashayed up towards Emma, placing her hand on the glass. Emma did the same.

"Squall…" Emma trailed off.

"We can't. We came here and got what we needed. Let's go."

"But—"

"Emma, we've broken the law!" Zell exclaimed. "We put Phoenix back, and we need to leave before someone comes in here!"

"_Charmeur…_" Serpentipes spoke through the glass. "_We will see each other again._"

"How can you be so certain?" She asked, a tear falling to the grid beneath her feet.

"_Ils ne peuvent pas nous garder dans ici pour à jamais_."

Seifer walked up behind Emma and pulled her along. "Come on." He whispered.

As they walked out they noticed the guard in his chair. He was still sleeping in his chair.

_Emma woke to find herself somewhere that looked something similar to a bomb shelter. Concrete floor, concrete walls. Above her was one bare light bulb that hung by a wire from the ceiling. . She could see shadows of trays and tables, but the only thing that was she could keep her focus on was the light bulb._

"_Hello?" Emma whimpered. She was restrained, her body was partially naked, with a linen towel draped over the front. _

_She could hear voices from the other side of the room, low, whispers. They were men. _

"_She won't." She heard a man say. She watched the men walk and stand in front of her. One nods to another and turns on the light. There were three men, two with masks, and a woman. The woman was under a mask as well. They all moved out of a way, allowing a man in a medical coat walk into a position directly under the light bulb. His face was partially in shadow. He smoked a cigar. _

"_This baby was a mistake…right?" He asked. His voice was familiar to Emma's ears. She couldn't recognize it, however._

"_Let me go." Emma said, quivering. "I am keeping this baby."_

"_This is Seifer Almasy's first born, yes?" Emma looked around the room, shaking. Next to her were surgeon tools and medical equipment. She feared for her child. _

"_Answer me." He was very calm. His onlookers looked impatient. He asked again. _

"_Is this Seifer Almasy's first born?" He waited. Emma said nothing. He sighed and looked over at the man next to him and nodded. The masked stranger pulled out a revolver and handed it to the doctor. The doctor took it and pressed it up to Emma's swollen stomach. She cried out. _

"_NO!" She sobbed. _

"_Well look at this." The woman said, her voice delicate, innocent. Contradicting to the situation. "The once ever powerful killer, now a sobbing mess." _

"_Is this Seifer Almasy's first born?" The doctor said, cocking the gun. He took a puff from his cigar and blew it in her face._

"_YES!" Emma screamed. She followed with a heaving sigh when he took the gun from her belly. Everyone in the room was silent with the exception from the doctor. _

"_Good. Well then, lets get started." He motioned for another man to walk to the end of the room. They did so, and turned on the overhead lights. Emma shut her eyes tightly. The sudden light blinded her. _

_The woman walked up towards Emma, lifting her mask only to reveal a petite nose and small lips. She leaned down to Emma's face and smiled. "This is for your own good." She kissed Emma's forehead and stood up. Emma began hyperventilating, choking on her sobs. "Eventually, you'll thank me for this."_

Emma woke up, lying against Seifer. The car was full with no legroom. The windows were completely down, with the sunroof open. A cool breeze caressed Emma's face. She closed her eyes, relieved to be able to see another morning. She looked ahead of her, seeing Squall with his arm around Quistis, driving. A freshly lit cigarette rested between his fingers in the hand he was driving with. Next to her were Zell and Selphie. Selphie held Zell as he slept. She looked over at Emma and smiled.

"He hasn't slept in nearly a week." She whispered. "Sorry if he's snoring too loud…"

"Don't worry. He's fine." Emma smiled back and looked up at Seifer, who had his head tilted and his mouth slightly open, breathing heavily. She noticed the bruises on his face and the dried blood that had surrounded his nose. She observed the small cut he had from the butt of the gun from Dollet. He had a black eye also.

"He just fell asleep." Selphie whispered. "So be careful waking him."

"What happened to his eye?" Emma asked, using her fingers to trace underneath her own eye.

"Zell."

Emma turned back to Seifer when his grip tightened on her shoulder. Emma smiled and reached for the hand that held a halfway burned cigarette. She grabbed the cigarette and took a few drags from it. Quistis turned around and looked at Emma. Emma offered it to her. Quistis shook her head.

"How are you?" She asked.

"I'm ok…you?" Emma took another drag.

"I feel ok. Stiff a little bit, but fine. Squall's going to stop in F.H. and get a hotel for a few hours so we can all clean up. We can't go back to Garden looking like this."

"How else are we going to explain how we came back from the dead?" Selphie wondered.

As Selphie and Quistis talked,Emma looked outside, seeing nothing but ocean. She saw a few ships around, but nothing else. "What time is it?" She asked. Her hair crinkled every time she moved.

"It's about eight-twenty." Squall said. "We'll be in F.H. in about forty five minutes. I think I can see it…" Squall trailed off, yawning. "But we'll be there in forty-five minutes, I think. But we can't stay. We need to get to Dr. Kadowaki before we start going back to old routines."

"_Old routines…"_ Emma nodded and flicked the cigarette out the window. She snuggled against Seifer, feeling him grip onto her tighter.

Short after that, Emma heard Selphie let out a whimper. She turned to look over to see her head down, wincing.

"Selphie?" Selphie turned, her hair hardened from the dried blood and water. It was straight and matted down. She smiled faintly.

"I'm ok… just hungry I think."

"How's my godchild?" Squall asked, looking in the mirror. His voice was monotone, but still held concern.

"Just fine…" She smiled, patting her stomach. "She's doing just fine…"


	10. Phoenix

**Chapter Ten: Phoenix**

They drove for another hour until Squall turned off from the highway and into Fisherman's Horizon. Squall listened to Quistis' directions and pulled off into the city area, pulling into the hotel. He stepped out, seeing as he was the only one that wasn't caked in blood aside from Quistis, but he still smelled.

Emma looked up at Seifer, who began to snore. She stroked his cheek and he stopped.

He opened his eyes and lifted his head, looking around. "How long was I out?" He said groggily, yawning.

"Since we stopped for gas a few hours back." Quistis said.

"F.H. huh?" He asked, stretching his arms. He watched Squall walk out and open the doors. He turned and walked into the Hotel Horizon.

"Zell honey…" Selphie woke Zell up, who looked around, startled.

"F.H?" He asked, rubbing his bloodshot eyes. He groaned, smelling the food from the restaurant next door. "I'm hungry."

"Ok everyone…" Squall walked out with a set of keys. "Listen, I rented out a room for the time being. It's got three beds, but I need to—"

"BED!" Zell exclaimed, not really listening to Squall.

"Zell! I need you to listen. Anyway…I need some help from everyone. I will be cleaning out the car, Seifer, I need you to do laundry, and Zell, you need to come with me and get food and water. We're going to be leaving in four hours. I want to be back before Monday."

"What day is it?" Selphie asked.

"Friday." Seifer muttered.

"Girls, get up there and clean up. They have shampoo and everything all set up." Squall got in the front seat and started up the car. Everyone else scattered out, stretching and yawning. "I'll be back in a while. I'm going to go see if there's a car wash or something." He handed Emma the keys and drove off.

When they made their ways to the room. Quistis was first to walk in, opening the door only once to toss her clothes on the floor outside the bathroom. Seifer picked them up and tossed them in the corner.

Selphie collapsed on the bed closer to the window, she curled up in a ball and sighed. "I'll go last…you can go next, Emma."

"Are you sure?" Emma said. Selphie didn't respond. Seifer pulled his bloody shirt off and tossed it with Quistis' clothes. He unbuckled his belt and flinging it off the pants, tossing it as well. He unbuttoned his pants and threw himself on the bed, throwing an arm over his eyes. He could feel a migraine coming along. He pulled his shoes off with his feet and sighed.

He felt a shadow creep over him and he outstretched his arm, offering the open space beside him. Emma crawled over and rested on top of him. He sighed and wrapped his arm around her once again. She sat up, dragging her fingers up and down his chest. He moved his arm down and closed his eyes, thankful that Emma's shadow was protecting him from the window. She cupped his cheek and studied his face some more, looking at the scar across his face that faded. He opened his eyes and smiled at her, his eyes not as bright as they used to be. He looked tired and weary, like he did at the hospital. Emma covered his eyes with her hand and he closed them again, finally relaxing completely.

Quistis stepped out in a towel, not really caring whoever was in the room. She walked to the middle bed and sat down, combing her hair.

"Is she asleep?" Quistis asked, pointing her comb at Selphie. Emma nodded and looked back at Seifer.

"I'm going to take a shower." She stated and crawled out of bed. She closed the door behind her. Seifer looked over at Quistis and sighed.

"I'm going to take one with her… to save time…"

Quistis smirked and nodded. "Don't take too long. I left the robe for you so you could go down and wash your clothes too." Seifer smiled and walked in the bathroom with Emma. Quistis kicked her feet up on the bed and turned on the television.

"Hey." He said to her. Emma was staring at herself in the foggy mirror. She looked up at him and raised an eyebrow. Seifer ran his fingers across her back and walked to the shower, turning on the faucets. Emma didn't move. "Come on, baby." He reached under the bottom of her shirt and unclasped her bra. Emma only blinked.

"I'm going to be ugly." She sighed.

Seifer stopped. "What do you mean?"

"The bullet holes." Her lip quivered. "I haven't looked yet, but I know they're going to be ugly." Seifer snorted and smiled.

"I have a scar," He said, pointing to his face. "Does that make me ugly?" Emma shook her head and smiled.

"Actually, I like it." She said, smiling.

He wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her shoulder. "Now, what makes you think I won't like the scars on you?" He smirked, running his hands up her waist, bringing her shirt upwards with them. "Come on…I won't think any different of you." His voice was low and kind. Sympathetic, almost.

Emma lifted her arms, her joints still stiff from being still for three days. She kept her eyes closed as she felt Seifer's hand run across her chest. She could feel the vibrations in her back when he chuckled.

"Open your eyes." He said quietly.

Emma did, but wasn't able to see through the mirror due to the condensation.

He put his lips to her ear. "There's nothing there." He whispered.

Emma looked down and ran her hand across her chest as well, her skin was smooth, soft. She smiled.

"You had one eye on the mirror as you watched yourself gavotte…" Seifer gently sung to her, rocking her side to side, slowly. "…and all the girls dreamed that they'd be your partner…" Emma laughed, leaning into Seifer's chest. "…They'd be your partner, and...you're so vain, you probably think this song is about you…" He kissed her neck and led her to the shower. Emma unbuttoned and slipped her pants and bottom undergarments off. Seifer gathered the clothes and tossed them out the door, along with his boxers. Emma gasped when she stepped in the shower, feeling the fresh cool water run down her body for the first time in what seemed like an eternity. Seifer stepped in behind her, reaching underneath her arms for water to wash his face. He reached for the soap, lathering it in his hands. Emma stuck her head under the faucet, feeling cleaner when she did. She heard Seifer wince when he washed his face. Soap had gotten into the cut on his forehead. Emma switched places with him and let him wash his face. He turned to her when he was done and smiled.

"You need to clean up more than me," He said. "If you only knew what you had been wading in for days…" Emma looked down and then up again.

"I don't even want to wonder." She said, pinching his stomach and trading places with him again. She grabbed the shampoo and began to wash her hair feeling her hardened hair loosen and become soft again. She felt Seifer begin washing her shoulders, her hips and back. His hands explored her soft flesh as he rested his forehead on her back. He slipped a hand in front and groped her breast for a second. She smiled and turned around, tilting her head back to rinse her hair. Seifer leaned in and kissed her neck. She pulled her head away from the showerhead and pressed her cheek to his.

"I didn't mean to let my guard down." He said absently. Emma sighed and reached for his hands, linking her fingers with his.

"I shouldn't have stranded from you." She justified. "I'm here now, Seifer. Things are fine. It's like I never…" She felt his muscles tighten and he held her closer. Something wasn't right. She could hear him making a hitching gasp, holding his breath, and then releasing it with a heaving sigh. Emma pulled away from the embrace, looking in his eyes. "Seifer?"

"I think I'm done showering." He rubbed his face. He kissed her on the cheek and stepped out. Emma quickly finished washing up and stepped out as well. She found him leaning up against the counter, wearing a towel that hung well past his navel. He was holding himself with his arms. They stood in complete silence for a moment, listening only to the occasional drip from the shower and the news from the television in the other room. He watched Emma reach for a towel and wrapped herself in it.

"Seifer…" Emma whispered, walking towards him. He reached out for her, holding her for a moment.

"Selphie still needs a shower… come on." Seifer wrapped his arm around Emma as they stepped out. Quistis nearly choked on her coffee when she saw the two walk out in towels. She smiled and winked. "You're a pervert, Quistis." Seifer joked.

"Well what am I to think when you take a half hour long shower?" She giggled. Putting her hand to her mouth, not wanting to spit coffee out.

"Selphie?" Emma called to the small brunette. Selphie made a noise and sat up, holding her head.

"You ok?" Seifer asked, bending down to grab the armful of clothes on the floor.

"Yeah…I'm going to take a shower now." Selphie stood up and weakly walked to the front door.

"Selphie." Quistis stood up. Selphie turned and realized she was heading outside. She turned and walked into the bathroom. She shut the door behind her. Moments later she tossed her clothes out at Seifer. He caught them mid-air and started heading for the door.

"I'll be right back." Seifer planted a kiss on Emma's cheek before stepping out, towel still wrapped around him and all. Quistis shook her head.

"Quistis…is Selphie ok?" Emma sat down, hugging the pillow next to her.

"I'm sure its just trauma…" She said, offering Emma her comb.

"_I –I –I –I- l-loss-t t-it…" She whispered._

_Seifer looked confused, not sure of what she meant. Emma moved her hands down between her legs and pulled them up, they were covered in blood. She tilted her head and reached out for Seifer's face. Streaks of red smeared across his face. _

"_They killed him." She said blankly._

"_Hello—She won't." She stared at the ceiling while she spoke. She spoke hastily and in a panicked tone. "This baby was a mistake…right?—Let me go—I am keeping this baby— This is Seifer Almasy's first born, yes—Answer me." _

"_Emma!" It was as if she had a split personality. _

_She turned her neck and looked straight in his eyes. He could hear her neck pop when she did so. "Is this Seifer Almasy's first born?" Seifer stared at her blankly, her eyes were bloodshot and cold. "NO!" She screamed suddenly, looking back at the ceiling. _

"_I'm getting you to a hospital… come on." He wrapped her in the blanket she was laying on and walked back to get his shoes from the bathroom. He could still hear Emma talking. She stopped. When he turned around she was right behind him. _

"_Well look at this." Emma said, her voice delicate, innocent. "The once ever powerful killer, now a sobbing mess.—Is this Seifer Almasy's first born?" Her voice still halted, she choked on her breath at times. Seifer stepped back a few times. "YES!" Emma screamed, her chest heaving._

_Seifer jumped back, smacking into the wall behind him. A picture of a woman fell to the floor. "What happened to you?" He whispered, almost afraid_

"_Good. Well then, lets get started." Emma looked down for a moment, quiet. Breathing silently. Seifer slowly walked towards her, reaching out for her. She lifted her head and spoke darkly. "This is for your own good.—Eventually, you'll thank me for this." Emma stopped moving and relaxed her head. She turned and walked out of the room. _

Seifer gently shifted Emma against his chest as he slid his keycard into the lock in his door. Her breath tickled his neck as her head fell against his shoulder. He watched as Zell walked with Selphie, holding her in his arm towards his dorm. As the door beeped and turned the border of the card slot from red to green, he opened the door and quietly walked in.

"

He walked into his bedroom and laid Emma down on his bed. He sat down beside her, turning on the light. He put a towel over the lampshade, giving it a dim glow. She shifted underneath him, making herself comfortable in his soft bed. She made a small groan when she stretched her arms out and arched her back, making her look like a cat. Seifer chuckled quietly, sighing contentedly.

"

He undressed her, being very careful not to wake her. He slipped one of his clean white shirts over her, finally leaving her to rest. She didn't have very many clothes with her, since she had been borrowing Quistis'. He brushed her hair out of her eyes and kissed her. Standing up, he felt Emma shift onto her side, breathing deeply. He turned and covered her up with his down comforter.

"Ugh." Seifer muttered when he examined his face in his mirror across the room. He pulled off his shirt, inspecting the bruises that had came from Zell. The gash on his head had scabbed and looked like it was in the process of healing, blood still clinging to his blonde roots. Underneath his eye was a streak of purple and red. The blow from Zell's hand had only broken the skin underneath. He fingered his chin for a while, making a mental note to himself to shave. He sighed and brushed his teeth quickly, not wanting to leave Emma alone.

"Seifer?" He poked his head out the door, seeing Emma had sat up, rubbing her face. "How long have we been back?"

He rinsed his mouth, spitting and walking out of the bathroom. "About an hour." He said, unbuttoning his pants and pulling his shirt off. "Are you feeling ok?" He asked and crawled into the bed next to Emma. He curled up behind her, burying his face into her hair and neck.

"I'm ok. Kind of dizzy, but I think its just from the past week." Emma could feel him inhale and then groan as he exhaled slowly. Emma rolled halfway back onto her back, nuzzling her cheek against his collarbone.

"Emma?" Seifer sat up halfway, supporting his weight on his elbow. Emma opened her eyes, looking at his face in the moonlight.

He smiled peacefully, stroking the side of her face with his thumb. Emma smiled and lightly shoved him "What?" She said quietly

Seifer sighed, pressing his forehead against hers. "…I love you." Emma looked at him for a moment, still trying to register what he said to her. He smiled, stroking her face gently. "You don't have to say it back, its ok. But I wanted to tell you that I do, very much, and I always have." Emma remained silent still, looking up into his eyes. "I was going to tell you that I did nine days ago but—"

Emma reached for the back of his head, pulling her towards him. She kissed him deeply. "Say it again." She whispered before kissing him again.

"I love you, Emma." He said, wrapping his arms around her waist

"Seifer." Emma kissed his neck, feeling Seifer's heart pound.

"I love you…" He repeated, pulling her on top of him. He kissed her passionately, sucking on her lower lip. He ran his hands up her back, the white shirt sliding up along with. Emma lifted her arms, feeling the cold air hit her naked body as the shirt came off. Seifer moaned as he felt her hand push against his groin. He kissed her harder, groping her breasts, gently squeezing them. Emma stopped, looking at him.

"Is this considered necrophilia?" She asked, pulling his pants off. Seifer looked at her, smirking.

"Legally you're considered dead, but technically you're very much alive." He kicked his pants off, sitting up. "But right now, I don't care."

"

Seifer walked into the cafeteria, noticing students hurrying to eat before their first class of the day. He reached over into the breakfast bar, grabbing a cinnamon roll and a bottle of orange juice. He found Zell and Quistis sitting at the table in the far corner next to the water fountain. Zell's face was buried in his arms. Quistis was rubbing the back of his neck.

"She miscarried last night." Came a voice behind him. It was Dr. Kadowaki's. Seifer sighed and turned to face her.

"I know. I just left Emma in the Infirmary with her." She tilted her head towards a table that was secluded from the rest of the crowd. "Come with me." She grabbed his arm, leading him. As they sat, Squall approached and sat next the two.

"We need an alibi." He said, taking a sip of his coffee. Seifer took a bite out of his cinnamon roll and sighed.

"What do you suggest we say?" Seifer looked up at Dr. Kadowaki, her eyes looked tired. She wore glasses now, which didn't help her look any younger.

"Cid was here this morning. When I spoke to him, he mentioned you could say you found recovery medicine in Dollet. It could be a small fine for taking the magic, but nothing more than a slap on the wrist." She smiled. "I find that this council is going too far with the laws. You saved lives with a recovery G.F., we could save so many more with that power."

"Cid is holding a week long conference with my father and President Vinzer II." Squall said, rolling his eyes. "They're holding an over-the-top dinner in Esthar on the last night and we're obligated to come as examples of what happened. And seeing as Zell is going to be staying here with Selphie with me for most of the time…"

Dr Kadowaki's beeper had gone off. She stood up and patted Seifer's hand.

"You're looking much healthier than you did three months ago."

"Has it been that long since I arrived?" Seifer asked, watching Dr. Kadowaki walk off.

"You and Emma will have to come with Quistis, Nida, and myself for the first few days." Squall finished. "Selphie is healthy enough to travel, but is still unfit to attend most of the conference."

Seifer was quiet for a moment, he twisted the cap off his orange juice bottle and flicked it around in his hand. "When do we leave?"

"Nida will fly us there later on this afternoon." Squall folded his arms.

"Emma doesn't have any clothes to wear…" Seifer trailed off. "What is your plan on this?"

"I plan on dragging her out with me to shop when we get to Esthar." Quistis sat down next to Squall. "I talked with her this morning, she said she'd go with me." She smiled, taking a large chunk off Seifer's cinnamon roll. He smiled and pushed his plate away towards Quistis.

"I don't have much of an appetite." He said, standing up. "I'll go get ready." He walked off, exiting the same direction Dr Kadowaki had previously. Squall and Quistis sat in silence for a while, sharing the rest of Seifer's neglected breakfast.


End file.
